


Balance

by LohKnomona



Series: Duality [1]
Category: Winx Club
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-04-07 08:10:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19080979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LohKnomona/pseuds/LohKnomona
Summary: Bloom was supposed to grow some plants and work on Domino's environment as a test. But instead she finds herself in a prison of ice and snow, with men ready to kill at every corner, and giant flying ice lezards who can do magic. She doesn't know where she is, but it doesn't feel like a simulation. Her professor stays silent, and she has to run for her life.Starts at Season 1, Episode 10.





	1. A Fortunate Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> And I am BACK !  
> This starts at episode 10 of season 1.  
> So, Baltor is Valtor, and Aisha is Layla. I’m taking the original names for this story, because they’re the ones I grew up with and… well, why rename him Baltor if his mark is a V ? Like it doesn’t make any sense.  
> This is another Sparxshipping story of course, but not the one I originally had in mind, or started writing. I just realized it would be better if I turned it into a one-shot… and now I’m stuck because I don’t know how to continue it.  
> Anyway so… here is my new idea. I really don’t know where it’s gonna lead us but… I have faith. Almost.  
> I’ll try to have everyone in character, this time, and not form a romance all of a sudden because I hated doing that in my last story… Even though you guys seemed to like it.  
> So ! Here it is !  
> As stated in the summary, this starts back in season 1, when  
> \- the Trix were still in school,  
> \- Bloom didn’t know anything about her true heritage,  
> \- she even thought she was a witch (like damn girl what ? you’re transforming when fighting, isn’t that enough to prove you’re a fairy ?),  
> \- Griffin was still mean and ready to do anything for her school to strive,  
> \- Layla wasn’t there (so weird),  
> \- we thought Sky was Brendon (remember that ?),  
> \- Riven wasn’t really with Musa but more interested in Darcy (talk about bad tastes),  
> \- Stella still used her scepter,  
> \- Miele and Roxy didn’t exist  
> And a lot of other things but I can’t list them all.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoy this first chapter and don’t hesitate to leave comments and constructive criticism. I honestly need it. For those of you who don’t know, I’m French, and I really have a hard time with vocabulary and describing things. I also have a problem with dialogues, and I need to look it up a bit more because it’s really confusing.  
> Enjoy ^^

She sighed and focused on herself as Palladium started running the simulator.

Startled by the sudden cold that bit her exposed stomach, she immediately opened her eyes to find herself in what looked like a cave, covered in ice and snow. Calling out the name of her professor, she heard no answers, and furrowed her brows.

There was nothing but darkness as she looked up, and she could only see one exit, to her right. The light illuminating the place she found herself in came from there. Breathing in deeply, she tried to calm her crazy heartbeat, unsure if this was all part of the test, or not.

So this was Domino ? She imagined a place a little bit warmer. When she’d ask for something desolated without anyone in it, and her professor had suggested this place, she hadn’t quite imagined something as cold and dead. After all, she was supposed to work on the environment, and she would hardly make anything grow with all the snow on the ground.

Maybe the rumors that Flora heard were right, and the simulator was just a scary place where horrible things would happen, where they would push them to their limits. Stella and Tecna had seemed unbothered though, and she doubted her professor would try and trick her. She wasn’t a student at Cloud Tower.

Looking around, her shoulders went down and a sigh escaped her once again. She was supposed to grow plants ; her task was to make this planet alive again. What was the point of sending her here ? It would take forever to get rid of the snow, let alone plant something and make sure it would stay alive.

In some part of her mind, she wished she’d taken the first proposition, and would’ve fought the witches. At least she had a little bit of experience with _that_ , thanks to the Trix.

Thankfully, her powers were keeping her warm, and she would probably be able to solely focus on her work.

It was strange for her professor not to answer, but it _was_ a test, and this could be part of it. Maybe the microphone, or whatever it was, wasn’t working correctly ? At least it was a simulation, and no real harm should come to her. She hoped. It all seemed very real to her, after all.

Not intending to stay any longer, she dropped to her knees, shivering when they touched the snow, and started her incantation. It wasn’t that hard, but she had to focus. She had yet to have full control of her powers, as she had come to realize when she saw all the other students performing and succeeding immediately in class, while she still had trouble changing the color of her hair on purpose.

She felt the ground move under her feet. She stood still for a few seconds, before looking around and up. She still could see nothing, but had noticed something in the air had changed. Maybe it had gotten colder, she wasn’t sure. Shrugging, she tried to focus back on the plants she desperately wanted to grow, but this time the ground and walls around her started shaking, and some parts collapsed on the ground, hardly missing her.

Instinct took over, and Bloom shot up to her feet to get out of the cave as fast as she could. The light blinded her for a moment, and she had to force herself to keep her eyes opened. She jumped when she saw the face of someone barely millimeters away, and a scream escaped before she realized he was stuck in ice. Trying to calm herself, she stared at his expression of hatred, as if he’d been talking, or rather screaming, at someone before they froze him in time.

Looking around her, she realized the place was enormous : she couldn’t see the end of it, just an endless number of caves, and tunnels leading to different places. As if people had taken time to create a giant society underground, modeling the ice to their desires. But there was nobody.

Something fell on her hand, and looking up, she realized there was nothing above her. The sky was bright, and blue. A little bit cloudy, and some snow was falling. That was why there was so much light here. The sun was up in the sky, yet it didn’t seem strong enough to make anything melt.

It was beautiful : the way the sun rays hit the ice, and it made the whole place shine in light blue, while the snow on the ground simply looked pure and cozy.

Walking around a bit, and completely forgetting about her test, she approached another man, whose gaze seemed to be following her. Realizing there was a piece of wood engraved in the ice, she threw the snow off it and read a name, and a number of years.

Was he punished ? Was this some kind of horrible prison, like Azkaban ?

She didn’t know what happened if you did something wrong in the Magical Dimension. She’d supposed there were some kinds of high-technology, or magical prisons somewhere, and that was where you would be put. But obviously she’d been wrong.

Walking up to an old woman, who held her head high as she stared hatefully at something before her, Bloom read the same thing : a name, and a sentence. That was it. Inspecting some other criminals, it became clear that this was indeed some kind of prison punishment. But was it even legal ? Were these people aware of what was happening around them ?

Why would her professor make her appear here ? This made no sense. She’d ask for something without people, and he’d assured her there would be none. But this wasn’t quite what she’d pictured.

So she called out his name, even though she didn’t expect him to answer. She needed to be sure she was still passing a normal test, that _this_ was all part of the test. But when no answer reached her, she had to realize that something was wrong. Surely he wouldn’t let her panic. She was the first one to pass the test, and it was the first time she experienced the simulation. He wouldn’t let her figure things out on her own ? This didn’t seem like what he would do. If she’d learn anything about the professors at Alfea, it was that they would always ensure their students were comfortable with what they were doing and learning.

Something was definitely wrong.

Hearing footsteps, her head shot to the left and sure enough, two men and a woman, dressed very warmly, were walking in her direction. They hadn’t noticed her yet, and the red head didn’t want to take any chances, so she crouched to the ground and tried to hide behind the many frozen prisoners.

They were looking around, as if searching for something, and she realized that it must have been her. She must have screamed too loudly, and now, whoever lived there knew they had an intruder.

That just seemed to confirm her suspicions. He’d said there wouldn’t be anybody. She was supposed to focus on plants, not on people.

So where was she ? And why didn’t her professor answer to her ? Why wasn’t he bringing her back ? Had something gone wrong ?

Shaking her head slowly, she focused back on the three strangers, who were now closer than ever, and noticed they were armed. An axe for everyone. But more than that, they didn’t seem friendly at all. They were hunting, that much was clear. And if she wasn’t mistaken, the prey was her.

Looking behind her, she noticed two other groups of three walking around. One to her right, and one almost directly behind her. For now, some pillars were hiding her, but she would have to move eventually. Her blue and yellow attire wasn’t exactly doing her any favors right now. And she wouldn’t dare to try and change it now. She couldn’t even transform : it would make her shine, and that would catch their attention.

Slowly, she started crawling to her left, aware that the first group could now hear her. She was behind them, following them, but if they ever turned around, they would spot her. The two other groups that were now on her right continued to walk, oblivious to her presence because of all the prisoners around her.

The three persons before her stopped, and she tried to breath as silently as she could. They looked above them for a moment, and the red head used that opportunity to slowly hide behind another prisoner, hoping the other two groups wouldn’t see anything.

At that moment, one of the men turned around, and looked into the distance. The cave where she’d been was collapsing on itself, and it caught the attention of his two companions. She thought that they would investigate, but he simply shrugged, and then barked an order to his two companions before making his way toward another group. Soon enough, they were walking right where she’d been standing seconds ago, and erased her footprints in the process.

They came close enough for her to smell them, and the urge to gag had never been that strong. Obviously, they weren’t taking care of themselves. The young teen smiled as she imagined Stella and Musa’s reaction to this.

A snort escaped her before she could stop it, and the three stopped just before her. They slowly turned around, as if in slow motion, and her eyes widened in fear as she met theirs. But unlike her, they weren’t scared. No, there was no emotion on their faces.

For a minute, they looked at her, surprised that she’d been this close. As for the fairy, she was too scared that any movement she might do would anger them to get away. But she needn’t worry : as soon as the leader realized the situation, he screamed at the top of his lungs to alert all the other parties, and the red head fell on her bottom, before turning around and running as fast as she could in her unpractical shoes.

Why, oh why had she decided to pass this test with such cloths ? She _knew_ she would be on a desert planet, and she would be working in the ground but _still_ , she had to be stylish.

Stella was a bad influence on her.

Falling a few times, she ran between the prisoners, hoping they would lose sight of her. She knew they would be able to follow her because of her footsteps in the snow, but they would be slower.

Finally arriving before a tunnel, she stopped some seconds, turning around to see a lot of people running after her, and realized she had to continue. At least there was enough light for her to see where she was going.

She went on like this for an eternity, going through tunnels and holes, her feet burning from the snow on them. Trying to look behind her, she tripped and fell down a steep slope. Scrambling back up, she realized with a simple look behind her that they’d stopped running after her. Straining her ears, she couldn’t hear anything either. Unsure, she looked around before hiding in a dark corner of the tunnel, too exhausted to keep running.

After some time had passed, she relaxed. They abandoned chasing her. She didn’t know if that was a good thing. After all, there were a lot more of them, and even if she had magic, she would’ve probably lost to them in a fight.

So why did they stop ? Was there something worse around here ?

Sighing, and wishing she had water to cool her burning throat, she looked toward the end of the tunnel : it was a dead-end. All she could see to keep going was a pit, as if an earthquake had made the ground part.

Knowing she didn’t have any choice, she forced her legs to move forward, and approached it. She saw light, and the ground. It didn’t seem empty. And she couldn’t go back now. So she transformed, and carefully flew into the hole.

It got bigger the lower she got, and again, there were tunnels everywhere. That probably meant there were people here too, and she didn’t like that thought. But for now, nothing seemed to move, and she couldn’t hear anything, so she assumed that it must’ve been abandoned. Maybe the people had preferred to get back up, nearer to the surface. She could understand that.

Deep in her thoughts, she was interrupted as, for a moment, darkness enveloped the place where she was. Looking up, she saw something moving above the crack she just went through. Like a giant snake.

And it growled. Low, and terrifying. It made her freeze in the air, as she watched it move around a little bit, before it stopped, its head sticking into the hole. She understood that must have been what the men pursuing her had feared. And if that thing scared them, maybe she should start running.

This time, she didn’t wait for the monster to react before her : she simply flew down, searching for some kind of place to hide. But her eyes only landed onto a man, frozen in ice, just like the rest of the bunch up there. Unlike the other prisoners she’d encountered though, she couldn’t see him clearly, because the snow, or dust, was too thick.

Looking back up, she saw two other snakes appearing, as the first one started to force its way through the pit. And the ice was giving in, piece by piece. She realized that the tunnels were not made by men, but by those creatures. And there must’ve been a whole lot more around that were just waiting to meet her, and turn her into their dinner.

Flying nearer to the man, she read his name aloud, and then shook some dust off its ice prison. She expected him to be looking at her somehow, but he was just looking looking to the right, disdain and hate barely concealed, with some hint of superiority. Like a deadly promise.

Reading his sentence, she bit her lip as she realized this was possibly the worst prisoner she could’ve come across : eternity. She felt something towards him. Her magic was calling out to his, or the other way around, she wasn’t sure.

What had he done ? She had no idea, and some part of her forbid her to ever find out why. 

Another part told her that this man was dangerous, and should have a lot of knowledge. The way his body stood, tall and proud, and the emotion in his gaze reminded her of a criminal with a lot of experience.

And as she turned her head back up to see the snakes slithering through the opening, she knew she had to do something. Either this man was dead and a good bait for the creatures, or alive and could fight them off, she couldn’t be sure. But he would at least buy her time to escape.

She concentrated, placing her two hands on the ice, and she tried to warm it up as fast as she could. Obviously it wasn’t strong enough, because it barely started turning into water. She sighed and hit the ice with her right hand, stress overtaking her entire body.

She heard the creatures moving closer, and she tried to focus on turning the ice into nothing, forcing herself to ignore the danger above her. If this didn’t work, she was lost. And it was too late for her to run anyway, she wouldn’t be able to hide.

“I really hope you’re worth it.”

Focusing all her might on him, she tapped into the very essence of her magic as she’d been taught in class, and tried to make it warmer than ever. She could feel the power leaving her, and it was already exhausting, but seeing the ice turn to steam forced to keep going.

Her knees buckled under her, and she fell, her hands still in front of her as she willed the rest of the ice to go away. And when she heard the breathing of the man, she looked up, her hands resting at her side as she slowly calmed herself.

The snakes were now around them, and she fought to get back up, putting the stranger between her and the danger. He didn’t seem to react, and she feared that he wasn’t as alive as she’d thought. When he looked down, she thought he would just faint, but to her surprise, he put a hand in the air just as one of the serpents opened its mouth.

The two magical attacks hit each other, before the wizards’ spell won and killed the snake instantly. Her eyes widened at that demonstration of power, and he turned to the two other magical creatures, hitting them with the same dark magic, the spell going through their heads before making them explode.

She took a few steps back, staring warily at him.

He turned around, stretching and making every bone of his body crack. He seemed pleased, as his eyes opened, and he looked at her.

“Thank you.”

She just stared at him, as he took in her attire. His smile turned into a mischievous one, and he raised an eyebrow, expecting her to talk.

“Who are you ?”

“Didn’t you read my name ?”

“You heard me ?”

“I heard you. I also saw your attempts at freeing me.”

She decided to let the insult slide. She needed to get out, and he could be a powerful ally.

“How long have you been here ?

“Seventeen years.”

“And you were aware of everything around you ?”

“Yes.”

She simply nodded, taking in the fact she may have just released one of the worst criminals of the whole magical dimension.

“Now, indulge me : what is a little fairy doing here ?”

She shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

It made him laugh, and she crossed her arms.

“What, they just arrested you and threw you in Omega for _nothing_ ?”

Obviously he did not believe her one bit.

“Omega, is that where we are ?”

Again, he raised an eyebrow, surprised by her question.

“Where else ?”

“I was supposed to be sent to Domino, in some kind of simulator my school owns.”

His gaze darkened when the name of the planet left her lips, and she felt like a prey. _Again_.

“What business did you have there ?”

“I had a test.”

Again, he checked her outfit, his head tilting to the side.

“How old are you ?”

“I’m sixteen.”

“So you only started learning magic.”

It was an affirmation, and it was true. She just kept staring at him, unsure of what to do, or expect, next.

“Why would they send you, a little fairy, on Domino ?”

“I was supposed to take care of nature, as it is the most desolated place in the universe.”

He crossed his arms, his expression just as cold as their surroundings.

“It was the most beautiful place in my time.”

She put her hands up, trying to show her surrender. She didn’t want to fight him. _Hell_ , she wasn’t supposed to fight _anyone_ in the first place !

“I don’t know anything about it, my professor sent me there when I asked about a place desertic and abandoned.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, and she felt fear building up in her chest. If he decided to fight her now, she wouldn’t stand a chance, that was for sure. When he uncrossed his arms, she stood a little bit taller, preparing herself to fly away. Yes, she could try running away. After all, he wouldn’t waste his time on finding and killing her, right ?

“I believe you.”

She slowly exhaled, and relaxed.

“Do you know how we can get out ?” She asked, putting her arms around her as cold started reaching her. Of course, she used too much of her magic.

He smiled, and as a true gentleman, offered his coat. In any other situation she would’ve refused, but as she started to feel the tip of her fingers freeze, she decided that her honor wasn’t that important after all. Putting it around her, she felt a lot better, and let out a sigh of relief. Then she looked back at him, as he motioned for her to follow him.

They didn’t talk a lot to each other. She was already exhausted, and they had to keep moving. Danger was hidden in every corner of this place, and she agreed that the sooner they’d be out, the better she would feel. Sometimes, he would look over his shoulder to make sure she was still behind him, and every time she would raise her eyes to his, daring him to say anything.

Of course, this was childish. But she didn’t want to appear as defenseless as she really was. She didn’t want to give him the impression that he could do anything he desired, and that she would be a puppet in his game.

Then he stopped, and stepped to the side. She slowed down, and stared at the strange spiraling stones before her.

“There it is. The gate to Andros.”

She looked at him expectantly. The only person she knew who could create portals was Stella, and it seemed to be something she could only achieve with her scepter. She didn’t even think that portals existed around the Magical Dimension, leading to other realms.

But at least she knew what Andros was. Stella had made sure she would know at least a little bit about planets, and royalty, when she’d learned there were no such things as Kings and Queens on her planet. Or, if they did exist, that they didn’t have any power whatsoever.

And she knew they had problems with Solaria, and that wasn’t a good sign.

“All we need to do is make a little crack in it so I can take my energy out there and take it down.”

She nodded, and stepped behind him as she watched him conjure a powerful spell. It hit the center once, before bouncing back towards where she stood seconds ago. Blinding light erupted from the portal too, and she had to close her eyes as she felt the dark energy run through her. She shuddered at the sensation, gripping the edge of the coat he handed her.

Looking back at the portal once the light was out, she saw no changes, and made a little sound, clearly unimpressed. He looked back at her, crossing his arms and leaning against an ice pillar.

“The gate is reinforced with magic,” he explained, and she nodded.

Then, she heard a growl behind her, and looked back to see another pair of snakes slithering towards her. Panic started taking over her once again, but an idea came to her at the last moment.

“Could we use their power ?” She asked.

“Yes. It should be enough.”

She nodded, and ran towards the other side of the room, too weak to lose energy on flying. Of course, she caught the attention of the two monsters, and turned around to face them just as they prepared to attack her.

They hadn’t noticed her companion yet.

Remembering Stella’s spell, she conjured a magical mirror, and the snakes’ attacks hit it right in its center, before being redirected at the center of the gate. It took all her might to stay in place, and not fall back down under the strength of the attack. Closing her eyes, she just prayed for this Valtor guy to do something quickly, before the little bit of magic left in her would leave her.

When she heard nothing, she looked around to see the monsters had disappeared, and the man started clapping his hands as he looked at her. She raised an eyebrow, and he smirked, before flying towards the center of the portal, and putting a hand onto it.

She walked up to him, and watched him concentrate as he put all his might into the gate. The flow of energy that ran past her wasn’t anything like what she ever experienced. It washed over her, and she let herself sit down as the wind picked up.

Her magical energy was back in an instant, and she looked over to him.

“What did you do ?”

“A thank you would be most appreciated.”

She squinted her eyes.

“Does that mean we can get out ?”

He laughed and stood back up.

“Yes. We just have to go through the portal now, and we’ll be on Andros.”

He offered his arm, again, acting like a gentleman. She eyed him suspiciously, and he seemed to hesitate for a short moment, before his smirk was back on its face.

“You’re very… gallant, aren’t you ?”

He laughed.

“I come from another time darling. Isn’t that how boys treat girls nowadays ?”

She shook her head.

“Well then, let me show you what chivalry really is.”

She looked at him a little bit more, before taking a few steps toward him, and enlacing her left arm in his right. He nodded to her, and then looked back at the portal. She followed his lead, and felt the cold disappear, as the smell of sea reached her.

Opening her eyes, all she could see was the ocean, brown and unclear.

“Welcome to Andros, little fairy.”


	2. Valtor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is HEEEEERE and on time (kindaaa) !  
> I’m probably going to update on Mondays… I’ll try to make it my deadline (not promising anything though).  
> So, I just wanted to say something : they are not going to be a couple anytime soon. Valtor is… I don’t know, actually, but should be as old as Griffin, maybe even older. And Bloom is 16 ! With Sky, we see she’s very shy and only really accepts to be with him in the last episodes. I doubt she’d get with a dark wizard in a few months. And I feel like Valtor would never date a girl that young. So yeah. There’s definitely going to be a romance, but I feel like I’ll make their relationship, whatever form it will take, grow before anything happens between them.  
> So yeah, enjoy ^^

He promised they’d see each other again.

It had felt like a menace, not something one would look forward to.

But she thanked him, nonetheless, and gave him back his jacket. He then guided her to another portal, and made it easy for her to get back to her school. The way he looked at her made her feel uneasy. She felt like a prey, a little fly in front of an elephant. She could see in his eyes he was debating whether he should just kill her, or let her go ? After all, she wasn’t a big threat to him.

She chose to ignore that feeling, as she looked away from him, and focused on the fact that he had saved her life. For now, she would try to believe in him. Believe she hadn’t just freed the worst criminal in history. Enjoy his company and let herself believe she found a powerful ally. She wouldn’t worry about him for now, the Trix were still a big problem in her life, and it was enough drama for her.

She was aware that day would come, though. One day, he would have enough of her, and he’d be powerful enough to end her life in a blink of an eye.

He just smiled at her, his expression just as calculating as his words, and she nodded to him before going through the portal. She felt dizzy, because of all the dark magic around her, and had to suppress the need to puke once her knees touched the grass.

She sighed contently when the rays of the sun hit her back, and looked up to see her school in the distance. He told her he wouldn’t be able to make her appear inside of it, simply because of the magical shield surrounding it. She accepted that explanation, and went on with it, simply hoping he wasn’t sending her back to Omega.

After passing the gate, she was immediately greeted by her headmistress and Griselda, who she’d never seen that worried before, and was sent to the medical wing. The events had taken their toll on her, it seemed, and she fell asleep once her head touched a pillow.

Waking up, she saw all her friends talking quietly between them, the Princess and the music fairies clearly angry and showing it, while the other two tried to calm them down. Telling them it was an error, and Tecna explaining in clear words that it was dark magic. Someone had messed up with the entire system for the sole purpose of sending them into one of the most dangerous planets that existed.

Bloom coughed up a little, and they rushed to her side, extremely worried and asking her all kinds of questions. The red head answered as much as she could, leaving the man she met out of her explanations. She also learned she’d been out for two days, because she was completely drained of all energy.

The headmistress had come in once notified that she had woken up, and her friends went away, leaving them alone. She, too, inquired about what had happened. But more precisely, asking her exactly how she got out.

Bloom simply shrugged, and told the headmistress that she’d found a strange place and had to go through a portal because a giant snake was after her. Then she’d found herself standing near Alfea, and had simply walked into the school.

If Mrs. Faragonda didn’t believe her, she didn’t let it show.

“What do you think happened back there, in the simulator ?”

The headmistress sighed, and looked away.

“I honestly don’t know, Bloom. This is the first time something of the sort happen.”

“Tecna told me it was the work of dark magic.”

“It is a possibility, yes,” admitted the headmistress as she nodded. “We don’t know for sure, and as we speak, Professor Palladium is running a few test. But the simulator should never have been able to transport you in Omega. It is a simulator, not a portal. Someone has tampered with it, and there were traces of dark magic.”

“But you’re not sure ?”

“Well,” sighed Mrs. Faragonda, “we know for sure someone did something to the computer, but we have no proof, no link to anyone. We don’t even know what kind of spell was used.”

“Could it be a… a witch’s work ?”

“Do you have anyone in mind ?” Asked the old lady, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

It took the red headed girl a moment, but she didn’t feel good about lying. She already had to hide the fact she freed a criminal, she didn’t want to lie any more.

“Yes, the Trix sisters. They’re always after us. They wanted Stella’s scepter.”

“So you think that, maybe, they were targeting your friend ?”

The red head paused for a second to think. Were they still after the scepter ? When they broke into Cloud Tower to retrieve it, they found it in the dirt and dust. So why would they try to retrieve it once again, after throwing it away once ? That didn’t make any sense.

“I… don’t know.”

The Headmistress nodded with a little smile.

“Don’t worry Bloom, you’ve already helped us a lot. I’m going to talk with Professor Griffin, and see if she can be of any help to us. Meanwhile, take it easy,” she said as she put a hand on her shoulder. “But, I admit, I have one more question for you.”

The girl looked at her in the eyes. Did they knew for this Valtor guy ? Had she noticed her looking away too much ? Did she doubt she could’ve gotten out of Omega on her own ?

“When we found you… there was a lot of dark energy surrounding you,” she started, her eyes unsure. “Like you’d been in contact with… evil.”

A chill went up Bloom’s spine. Evil ? Was he _that_ bad ? She’d only been with him for a few hours, but his dark energy had still left that much of a trace on her ? Or was it his portal ?

“How would that be possible ?” She asked, willing the most innocent expression she could make on her face.

The headmistress looked down and shook her head, obviously disappointed with that answer.

“I don’t know Bloom. Maybe the portal you went through. Maybe the energy that transported you so far away from us. Maybe the atmosphere of that damned planet, I don’t know !”

Bloom nodded slowly, unsure of how to proceed next. She even wondered if she should tell everybody the truth, but the headmistress rose up from the bed, and a smile appeared on her lips once again. She thanked her, and wished her to get well, before she disappeared through the door as some nurse came up to her with a glass of water.

Drinking like her life depended on it, she couldn’t help but think that she should at least make some research on him. Know who he was, what he did and foremost, how bad he was. If only a few hours with him made her professor worry, she could only picture the worst.

But nothing could’ve prepared her for what he really was.

She’d imagined that he would’ve stolen. Maybe he tried powerful dark spells prohibited by whatever existed in the Magical Dimension. Maybe he’d been charged with murder.

But the extent of his deeds were far worse than what she could’ve imagined.

He’d been the most ferocious minion of the Ancestral Witches. A force to be reckoned with. Someone’s name who made people lock their door at night, fearing an attack. He was the character parents told their kid about, the one that would come if they ever did something bad. Almost impossible to win against, and it had taken six of the most powerful fairies, witches and specialists. One of them being Mrs. Faragonda. Two other members being the last rulers of Domino.

Biting her lip at the discovery, she quickly closed the book and put it back into its place.

“Bloom !” Called out Tecna, genuine surprise in her voice, making the poor girl jump higher than ever in the air. “What are you doing here, I thought you would still be in bed !”

“I wanted to know more about Omega,” she lied effortlessly, and it made her uneasy. Was she becoming accustomed to it ?

The technology fairy nodded.

“Not the best vacation destination, that’s for sure.”

“I saw… people.”

“Yes. Omega is a prison for the worst criminals in the galaxy. They’re frozen alive, and then thrown down on the ground to live through their sentences. Usually a year, five at most. It would be inhuman to add more, and most repent after all that time.”

Bloom felt her blood freeze in her veins.

“Five years at most ?”

Tilting her head, Tecna eyed her suspiciously.

“Well, I suppose you could charge more, add some years. But… You would’ve to be the worst person in the universe.”

Silence fell upon them, and Tecna eventually cleared out her throat.

“Anyway, if you wish to get more information about Omega, I’d suggest you look into the more recent manuals about geography. History is good, but it’s about the past.”

With that, she smiled and left for her next lesson, leaving Bloom unable to move.

What, exactly, had she done ?

 

* * *

 

 

Storming out of the office, Bloom made up her mind.

Maybe it was the anger talking, or the rush of adrenaline after seeing the nymph. Whatever it was, she sure as hell wouldn’t stand by, and let her Headmistress decide when, and exactly what, she would know. She wouldn’t wait until the old fairy had made up her mind, and decided to tell her about her _own_ past to discover who she really was.

When she opened the door to her dorm, and watched as her four friends stood up as one, asking her questions about the letter Wizgiz had lost in the hallway, she thought about playing it off and act on her own. But she was angry at the world, and tired. She needed their help.

She needed _someone_ else to know.

“It wasn’t about the letter.”

“Then what did they want ?” Asked Musa as she crossed her arms.

“You remember the dreams I told you about ? This nymph ? Faragonda thinks she’s connected to my past.”

“ _Mrs._ Faragonda,” reminded Flora quietly.

“What does that have to do with Faragonda wanting to see you ?” Pressed Stella as she ignored the words of her friend.

“She wanted to show me _something_.”

“Then spit girl.”

Bloom felt her knees weak from all the emotions, and made her way to the couch, her friends following her.

“She created a vision, and led us into the Lake Roccaluce. I met this strange nymph there, Daphné, and she gave me a tiara. The crown of Domino’s Princess.”

“And ?”

“Nothing Flora. After that, the Headmistress called it quits and threw me out of her office.”

“Why didn’t you ask for questions ?” Tecna’s voice seemed weirdly offended.

“ _I did_! But she told me that I had to figure it out by myself. But there aren’t any books in the library anymore ! I don’t know where to do my research and I sure as hell won’t go back to Cloud Tower.”

The girls looked at each other, unsure.

“When I get back to Zenith, maybe I can ask around and do some research.”

“It’s months ahead !” Complained Bloom as she let herself fall back.

“What do you have in mind ?” Asked Stella, aware her friends had a plan already.

She looked at them, fidgeting, before lowering her gaze to her knees.

“I did not tell you the entire truth about my accidental trip to Omega.”

“I knew it !” Said Musa triumphantly, before blushing and muttering an apology.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it isn’t bad,” said Flora as she tried to reassure her friend.

“Oh but it is Flora ! It’s so, _so_ bad !” Let out Bloom as tears started to pour. “I freed a criminal to escape ! I didn’t really have a choice but… he’s… I…”

“Hey there, calm down.”

The nature fairy came closer to her, and hugged her as the red head simply sobbed on her shoulder. All the emotions were coming off her chest, and it was too much at once. She didn’t have a good night sleep in forever, and now had to deal with her Headmistress’ antics, who thought she could play with her past.

It was simply too much, and her nerves had cracked. She needed a break. She needed to be away from all her problems, or better yet, come back to a time where everything was simple, and fairies were a simple dream.

“His name is Valtor, and he was sentenced to eternity !” She felt her friend tense against her. “He was working with the Three Ancestral Witches and I… don’t know what I’ve done !”

Stella immediately sat down in front of her friend, taking her hands in hers, and tried to look into her eyes.

“You’re not a bad person Bloom. You did what you had to survive.”

“I know it’s just… I… I fear what he might do ! I think he’s the reason why Andros is going so bad lately.”

Of course, everyone had heard about what was happening on the water planet by now. Mermaids turned into monsters, the entire ocean being poisoned, and any of the last citizens were encouraged to flee. The last people standing were the Royal Family, and their army.

This thought made the four girls freeze. If their friend really was responsible for that, should they give her up, and tell her story to their headmistress ? In one look exchanged between themselves, they knew the answer.

Their friend had been in great danger, and they understood that they would have probably done the same in her situation. Bloom wasn’t happy about this, she was no witch or troublemaker. She was lost, more than any of them could imagine, and without uttering a word, they knew they would deal with this together.

“Bloom, darling, look at me,” gently asked Flora.

Puffy, red eyes looked up into the beautiful jade ones of her friend.

“We won’t let you down. You have my word. We’ll deal with this as a team.”

“We’re the Winx, after all,” said Musa.

“We stand by each other’s side, no matter what,” stated Tecna.

“We’re best friends, and we trust you.”

The tears still fell, but this time it was from relief. She relaxed on the couch, and felt the tension leave her body slowly.

Yes, they were the Winx Club. She could trust her friends.

 

* * *

 

 

“It just smells so _bad_.”

The Solar Fairy didn’t seem too impressed by what her friend was packing.

“We haven’t done our first year, unlike _someone here_. We’re taking every chances we can,” she answered as she put magical potions in a bag.

“Musa is right,” intervened Tecna. “Andros is made of water, and if one of us falls into it, we have to be able to breath.”

Huffing, the blonde left to quickly change into a more practical outfit, as the flower fairy came into the bedroom, potions in her hands. Giving some to the pink haired fairy, she quickly got out to seek out the Princess.

Meanwhile, Bloom was standing in the living room, arms crossed as fear dug its way through her stomach. She watched the nature fairy go through the bedrooms, and simply prepared herself for what was to come.

Eventually, Musa and Tecna got out of their bedroom, their backpack on, and they watched as the nature fairy exited Stella’s personal room. Without her potions.

“Ah, so she took them,” said Musa with a knowing smile.

“Yes, she didn’t seem too eager but we can’t afford to have one of us lacking them.”

The double doors opened suddenly, making Flora jump as they all looked to a very angry Stella.

“Are you girls sure you want to do this ?” She asked. “It’s a suicide mission. If he ever decides to strike us down...”

They all looked at each other, and nodded.

“We went to Cloud Tower and survived it, and the Trix multiples attacks’. We’ll have to be careful, that’s it,” said Tecna.

“I’m warning you, if I think we’re in any danger, we’re back here the next second, is that clear ?”

Stella had made the joke of going to this Valtor bad guy when they’d been looking him up in Alfea’s library. Saying he was old, and probably knew a lot about what Domino used to be like, and had maybe even met the Nymph Daphné. What she hadn’t thought about was Tecna’s logical mind.

Of course, the Fairy had actually come up with a plan in the next second, making them all realize that this was a possible solution. Especially since Stella could take them in and out in less time than one needed to blink. Now obviously, the blonde wasn’t too proud about her clever idea.

Convincing her had been hard, but eventually Stella realized that, whether she came or not, they would go all the same. The Princess thought about it, and the night before the expedition, stated she was coming with them. To make sure they’d stay alive.

Transforming immediately, they looked expectantly at Stella, and realized they were quite lucky to have her on their team. Her scepter could save their lives if anything happened to them while on Andros. They would at least reach the Royal Palace.

The feeling of teleporting was still foreign, but Bloom got her bearings quite fast, and helped the nature fairy up when she lost her footing while appearing.

“Is this the right place ?” Asked Musa, looking disdainfully at the brown water.

“Yes. I just hope he’s still here.”

“Just look up,” indicated Stella as she pointed her finger to the top of the weird island they were on. Sure enough, someone was standing there, their back to them, a big coat floating around him. “I don’t like the energy coming from him it’s…-“

“Dark,” finished Tecna as mini-droids floated around her. “It’s like there is no good energy in him.”

The rest of the girl winced when they heard that, and Bloom sighed.

“I’m going alone, at first. We don’t want to appear threatening.”

“And if he tries anything, we’ll be there,” said Musa.

They all nodded to each other, before the red head started flying upwards, and landed behind the man. Some part of her knew he was already aware of their presence. Maybe the magical pull she felt when she got closer, or the fact that the monsters roaming the oceans were simply glaring at her and her friends, as if waiting for clear orders.

“I must admit, I did not expect to see you back on your own,” he said as he turned around, a smirk on his lips. “And with _company_ no less. My, my, I was not aware a _party_ had been planned.”

She shook her head.

“Valtor, I need… information.”

She tried to pick careful words, but it only made him smile wickedly.

“And what do you want to know ? By now, I’m sure you’ve read all you could find about me. Although, there are always two sides of a story, and maybe you want to hear mine.”

She blinked, before understanding what he meant.

“I’m not here to decide whether you’re a bad guy or not, I just want to know some things about Domino. About the Nymph Daphné, especially.”

His smirk didn’t budge, but he narrowed his eyes.

“And why would a young fairy like you be interested in such an old tale ?”

“I simply need to know more about her. She haunts one of my friend’s dreams and-“

“Don’t lie to me,” he said, his smirk growing colder by the second. “You’re awfully bad at it. And I can feel it.”

She froze. So she wasn’t crazy, there actually _was_ something going on with her magic. She considered denying it, but remembered what he just said, and crossed her arms, tensing.

“I just want to hear what you know about her, and then I’ll leave you in peace.”

“Somewhat, I don’t believe that,” he laughed. “But I’m ready to talk, although we’ll have to move inside,” he said as he motioned for her to look behind her.

It was small, but she immediately recognized ships coming in her direction.

“Andros’s float…” she whispered.

“Yes. Quite nasty. Your friends should come too.”

With that, he flied down and entered a cave, leaving her alone. The same one in which the portal she went through to get back to Magix was, if she remembered correctly. Her memories were a little bit blurry.

Not wishing to get caught, she called her friends and they immediately flew to her side.

“We have to get inside,” she stated before any of them could speak.

They all stared at her like she’d grown a new head.

“The army of Andros is on its way, look behind you !”

The girls looked uncertain, but didn’t dispute her words.

“Well then let’s go,” said Musa as she flew above the cave, looking for any sign of trouble inside of it.

Tecna imitated her, and her mini-droids went crazy inside the lair of the criminal. After some time, the pink haired girl nodded and Bloom flew inside, followed closely by her friends. And just in time before they could’ve been spotted by Andros’ scouts.

Despite the darkness when one first entered, the rest of the place was actually quite luminous. There even was a library, full of books, and some kind of saloon. It all had a very old feeling to it, and they guessed it was because of the time their bad guy had lived in.

Stella crossed her arms, and raised a mocking eyebrow, making her thoughts clear to everybody in the room.

Flora and Musa had been horrified to see some mermaids flying around them, their bodies disfigured and full of hate. But they didn’t try to attack, and flew above water to probably fight off the Army that was trying to come in.

Valtor appeared again, striding into the room like a pageant, before sitting down graciously in front of them, and with a sign of his hand, invited them all to do the same. They executed themselves, although carefully, and never let him out of their sight.

“I’ll ask you a question, before answering to what’s on your mind.”

The girls were now on edge. Everything around them could be a weapon or a trap, and they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. They now realized that this wasn’t like fighting off apprentice witches.

This man had been to war. He wasn’t playing games, or rash in his actions. Everything he did had a point, and a good outcome for him. He was like a spider, tangling its preys in its web until they couldn’t move an inch. But they wouldn’t feel it until it was too late.

Tecna gritted her teeth. She thought technology would keep them safe, but now that she sat in front of him, she knew there still was a lot she had to learn ; just because she sent some of her trusty inventions to look out for her, didn’t mean danger wasn’t roaming around.

“I’ll see if I can answer.”

“Oh I would rather think you can,” he said with a laugh. “I merely want to ask you your name.”

She blinked twice.

“My name is Bloom.”

“And where are you from ?”

“That’s two questions,” intervened Stella, gripping her ring.

He eyed her with amusement.

“Princess Stella of Solaria,” he purred out, and they all felt a chill go up their spine. “It’s an _honor_ to meet you.”

She looked away, uncomfortable under his scutiny.

“I’m from Earth,” said Bloom.

“An Earth Fairy ? I thought they were extinguished,” he said as he blinked in surprise. He then smiled, pleased. “Now, you wanted to know more about the Nymph Daphné ?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “I can’t find anything in the library of my school, and I figured that, since you fought her, you would be able to tell us more about her.”

He looked impressed.

“You came all this way to ask me about my enemy ? I don’t know if I should call you brave, or stupid.”

The five girls unanimously agreed on the latter, but didn’t say a word.

“I can tell you she was powerful,” he started when he understood they wouldn’t react. “I’ve met her quite a few times, and dueled her. We could never win against each other. When she was too weak to fight, her mind worked it out and she always escaped me. She was a great opponent.”

He seemed particularly fond of his memories.

“I also heard that she was a good person, of course,” he said with a laugh, “and passed the power of the Dragon Flame to her little sister. But I was captured before I could learn anything more. Now, just like the rest of her people, she died to the hands of the Ancestral Witches. Or never showed her face again because of the shame. I had been imprisoned before any of this happened.”

“And that’s it ?” Boldly asked Musa.

He smirked.

“Yes, I was not personally involved in anything related to the Royal Family bloodline. Except, of course, in organizing their assassination.”

The way he said it, like it was unimportant, made their hairs stand up on theirs necks, and they felt uneasy. Was the thought of murdering someone that easy for him ?

“Do you think there is any way she survived ?”

He shrugged.

“Some say the Royal Family is out there, looking for their lost child. But no one has seen them since the attack.”

The ground shook under their feet, and the wizard sighed.

“Is there any more questions for today ? I fear the lesson has to end rather abruptly.”

Bloom stood up and looked around as Stella got her scepter out, ready to poof them away.

She walked up to him as he smirked down at her.

“Where do you think the Dragon Flame is, now ?”

His smirk deepened, and he opened his mouth to answer, but an arrow missed him by an inch and they all turned around to see military men inside the cave. Some mermaids threw themselves at them, buying the fairies time, and Stella looked desperately at her friend to make her move.

Bloom simply turned around, searching in the eyes of the man for any kind of answer. He simply looked at her, and when she lost her footing and he touched her shoulder, he felt ready to laugh at her.

But the shock that went through their bodies at the same time was too powerful to process anything else for the next seconds. He could only look at his hand, squeezing the fairy’s shoulder, while she stared at his face with wide eyes.

Magic had never felt so pure to him. It felt whole, and right in a way that didn’t bother him. It was as if this was meant to be. Frowning, he looked into the blue eyes of the young girl, and she did the same, feeling the exact same thing.

“Valtor, give up, you and your little friends ! You can’t win this fight !” Screamed a girl.

It brought them both back to the present, and she took an hesitant step back, before running back to her friends, as he narrowed his eyes at her, suddenly realizing that something was definitely wrong with the young fairy in front of him. Another arrow was shot towards him, and he focused his magic on the danger at hand.

For her part, she just gripped the hand of the flower fairy, signaling to her friends that they could go away now. Musa and Tecna had their eyes on Valtor, and they seemed horrified yet entranced at what they saw. For her part, she couldn’t see anything, but felt a powerful spell ready to be cast behind her, and shuddered at how much dark energy was concentrated in it.

And shivered when the rays of the sun hit her back, nicely massaging her after her time on Andros. Her knees touched the grass, and Flora helped her get back up this time.

“I hope you got what you wanted, because I am _never_ taking you back there,” said Stella as she crossed her arms.

They all stood still, hardly realizing what just happened.

“So we went there for… nothing ?” Asked Musa, her shoulders going down.

“We did learn something,” said Flora. “He said that the Nymph Daphné held the power of the Dragon Flame, but passed it to her baby sister.”

“Yes, but is it even real ? Or just a legend ?”

“She was seen using its power during the war. There is no doubt that it exists,” explained Tecna as she nodded.

“But where is it _now_?” Asked Bloom. “That’s what we need to find out.”

“Maybe Stella has its power inside her ring,” said the pink haired girl.

“I’m the fairy of the Sun and the Moon,” explained the blonde as she tilted her head. “It has a lot of power, but nothing like… fire, or flames, like-”

“Like what Bloom has,” finished Flora as she turned to look at her friend.

Said girl felt unease settle in as her friends all stared at her.

“So we need to find another fairy with fire powers ?”

“I think that what Flora is trying to say, is that you _are_ the Princess, Bloom,” said Tecna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh lala.  
> I just finished writing this chapter and… yeah it was hard. I hope it’s realistic at least. I feel like anyone in their right mind would see it coming, but… maybe that’s just me.  
> Anyway I will try to include Valtor in every chapter, I feel like that’s what we all want. I will try my best, but sometimes the Winx will need their own “growing up” moment.  
> So I hope you enjoyed this second chapter, and PLEASE leave a comment, subscribe, share I don’t know XD And see you guys in the next chapter !


	3. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 coming in !  
> First of all I want to say thank you to the guest that spotted my little mistake. It has been rectified, because yes, it’s Zenith and not Xenith. I don’t know why the name changed in my head but thank you XD

It was hard to breathe.

In front of her parents, she smiled, and gladly accepted their explanations. She never once doubted their love for her, and most certainly would never dare to. Over the years, they’d proven how much they cared for her. It would be useless, and even childish, to throw away all their efforts because they never told her she’d been adopted.

It wouldn’t make sense.

It wouldn’t be her.

Still, as she laid on her side, facing the wall, she found it hard to breathe.

She wanted everything to be over. She dreamed of fairies, yes, but not in this manner. She dreamed of adventures, but not this kind. She dreamed of being someone important, but wasn’t so sure anymore. Being in the shadows wasn’t actually that bad. At least you didn’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations.

She could heard her parents talk. They weren’t exactly arguing, but she could feel their regret at hiding something so important from her.

She was tired of people constantly hiding things from her. First Faragonda, now her own parents. What was it about her that made everyone think she needed to be blind to the truth to live happily ? At least she was certain of the motives of the three witches.

Some tears fell on her cheeks, and onto her pillow, but she barely noticed them. There were already too many thoughts swirling in her head to focus on anything around her. All she knew was that her magic was doing crazy things in her room, cracking and building up electricity around her. But her body stayed unmoving. She couldn’t move, it seemed.

She just stared at her wall. Unblinking. Dark thoughts filling her head, taking control of her body, and poisoning her heart. She didn’t know whether she was trying to fight this feeling, or welcoming it more than willingly.

She was lost, there was no other way to put it.

Her friends thought she was some lost Princess from a damned Realm, but she laughed it off. For weeks. Eventually she grew tired of it and they stopped talking about it altogether. Until today, when her parents revealed the truth to her, and the words from Flora came rushing back in her mind.

A sob escaped her.

Was this why this nymph was visiting her every night, and only her ? She did show her the crown, and gave it to her, but no words were exchanged. How could she be certain of anything ? And wouldn’t Faragonda have said anything ? Why were the books of Daphne removed from the library ? Was this why the Trix were after her ? For that Dragon Flame power ? Were her parents aware of everything ? Was that why they were arguing downstairs ?

Her breath got caught in her throat, and she opened her eyes and blinked multiple times as she watched her library, before sitting up straight.

The moonlight filled the room she shared with Flora. It was empty, and silent, but still, she could feel something was amiss. Something with dark energy, and it clouded the whole bedroom. Stealing a glance at her friend who slept peacefully, she decided to investigate.

But she only had to get on her two feet before a scream interrupted her.

“Stella !”

In seconds, she found herself in the Princess’s room, ready to fight whatever had attacked her. But soon enough, she figured out the blonde just had a terrible nightmare. Sighing, she still stayed alert. There was something wrong in the air, and it got worse when she entered her friend’s bedroom.

Going back in her bed, she found sleep once again. She felt the same wave of magic the nymph usually used to get into her dreams, but it was dark this time, and she found herself stuck inside her own head.

It was pitch black for a moment, until a fire started all around her. It was close to her, but she felt no warmth. Tentatively, she put her hand closer to the flames, until it went right through them and back. Her skin was unharmed, and she had only felt a little cold.

“It is only a dream, after all,” said an all too familiar voice.

Turning around just in time to see him go through the flames, she noticed he wasn’t wearing his jacket this time. She crossed her arms, and wondered if she should transform, just in case.

“What are you doing in my head ?”

At least, unlike the nymph, she could actually control this dream, and act normal. Most of the time, she had no memories of what this Daphné person tried to tell her. She would wake up, sweating, tired, with only a few flash backs, but nothing concrete.

“I wanted to talk.”

She huffed.

“So you get inside my head ?”

“Would you prefer I break in your room ?”

She stared at him, unmoving and he sighed, a small smirk on his lips.

“Well, what did you want to know ?”

His eyes looked into hers, his determination clear.

“Last time, you said you were from Earth.”

She tensed.

“See, I somehow doubt that.”

Taking two steps back to put more distance between them, she realized her mistake too late, as his smirk slowly fell off his face.

“And I was right, apparently.”

She stood still, as did he. They stayed like that, staring at each other, gauging each other’s reaction.

When he smirked, it made her feel like she could go up against him, as if she stood a chance. Somehow, because of it, she actually believed there was a part of good in him, and that he wasn’t that bad. After all, he never hurt her. On the contrary, he saved her from this Omega planet. Without his powers, she would probably still be stuck in that damned place, and would’ve probably been captured. Or killed.

But when his nice demeanor fell, and showed the real person behind the façade, or what she assumed was his real persona, the danger was palpable. He didn’t have to say a word, or to act a certain way. He only looked at you, and you could feel how powerless you really were.

But she wouldn’t show him how truly scared she was.

“I didn’t lie.”

He assessed her, or her words, she wasn’t sure. He stood tall, his gaze following her every move.

“I… I just recently discovered that I wasn’t from Earth. Three days ago. I didn’t lie.”

Seconds ticked by, and she felt relief wash over her as he uncrossed his arms.

A scream in the distance made her jump, and the world turned upside down. She felt her side collide with something, and a sharp pain in her side. Suddenly, it was hard to breath again, and it took all her might to open her eyes.

Black dots clouded her vision, but she noticed something move in her line of vision. She felt the magic of the nature fairy surround her, and tried to relax as she felt something numb her right ankle. The pain subsided and, with the help of her friend, sat up.

“Who screamed ?” Bloom asked immediately after thanking Flora.

“Tecna I think. But what happened to you ?”

Shaking her head, the red head was unable to come up with an answer. She actually had no idea either. Putting a hand on her bed, she managed to get up under the careful eyes of Flora.

“Let’s go see what happened.”

Exiting the room shakily, she saw Stella was already inside the bedroom, facing Tecna and Musa.

“What happened girls ?”

“I had a nightmare,” answered Tecna. “And I woke up and found Musa in a strange position.”

“I feel drained of all energy,” complained the music fairy, her shoulders low and still sitting in her bed.

“Me too,” said Tecna.

Stella nodded in agreement.

“This can’t be a coincidence. Me, then Musa, then Tecna ? Give me a break, something is wrong.”

Kiko decided to show up in the room at this precise moment, gesturing and making all kinds of noises, before running back outside. Flora immediately followed him, the other girls on her trail.

They found the rabbit next to Mirta, still stuck in her pumpkin state. Under the impressed eyes of the four teens, the nature Fairy worked up a spell and an hologram of Mirta stood in her hand, alerting them of something roaming inside their bedrooms, that disappeared when the first rays of the sun appeared. Apparently, it targeted Bloom, but was unable to get inside the bedroom so it decided to attack the other girls instead.

Too tired, the girls went back to sleep after being certain the monster wouldn’t come back. This time, it was a dreamless sleep for all of them.

 

* * *

  

Sitting in Alfea’s campus, four of the five members of the Winx Club tried to get their information straight. What was the monster, what it wanted, but more importantly, they tried to figure out how Bloom and Flora had been protected.

“Maybe we should sleep in your room ? That way, the monster wouldn’t be able to reach any of us,” said Musa.

The girls nodded.

“But why was he unable to get in the room ? Was it Flora’s flowers ?” Asked Stella.

“I doubt it,” answered Tecna. “She got rid of her experimentations, and most of us have some of her plants in our rooms, but we still got attacked.”

Once again, they nodded, silence overtaking the atmosphere.

“Bloom, any idea ?” Asked the brunette.

She shook her head.

“None.”

Which wasn’t true at all. The girl was pretty sure it had something to do with Valtor, or the Nymph. Maybe both. If this monster created nightmares, and he visited her at the same time, maybe that meant the monster had been unable to get inside her head, and had chose to attack the others first ?

Was it one of Valtor’s minion ? Why would he attack her friends, and not her ? Why visit her at the same time ? Obviously, he could not keep her asleep, as she awoke immediately when Tecna screamed.

Nothing made sense.

Groaning, she put her head in her hands. Musa sighed.

“I’m so tired ! I thought the feeling would go away, but it’s like that thing took my energy as he was giving me nightmares !”

“He probably fed on our fears,” stated Tecna.

“Does that mean he gets stronger every time he succeeds in trapping us in these horrible nightmares ?” Asked Stella.

Tecna shrugged.

“It would only be logical, but I can’t say for sure. I don’t know what this creature is, and I have never heard of anything like that.”

“And sadly, Mirta is unable to identify it. Although it was clear the monster has a target,” said Musa.

They looked at Bloom, and the red head sighed.

“Do you think the Trix are behind this ?”

After a moment of silence, they all slowly nodded.

“They seem really bent on giving us a hard time after all,” agreed Musa.

“And they already sent a monster in our school,” said Tecna.

They all sighed. They were too tired to even get angry.

“I think I’m going to miss my next classes girls,” said the blonde. “I’m too tired.”

“I’m going to do the same,” nodded Musa. “I won’t be able to concentrate on anything.”

“The monster might come back tonight, getting some sleep will be beneficial,” nodded Tecna. “But I still want to do some more research.”

The two girls got up and waved a silent goodbye at their friends, before going back to Flora, try to see if they could help her find a cure for Mirta, and finally get some rest. Tecna followed suit, heading to the library. Bloom just sighed, and took Kiko in her arms.

When would any of this be over ?

 

* * *

 

Her eyelids were heavy, but she forced herself to stay awake. She had to be ready for when Kiko would give her the warning. And she wasn’t disappointed.

Five minutes after the sun had set, the rabbit came running to her, and she quickly made him go to Flora, and got up to wake the girls by her side. Soon enough, a giant beast stood above Flora’s head, under the terrified eyes of her friend’s.

The flower fairy didn’t hesitate, and immediately tried to trap the creature. But the monster broke out in seconds, and tried to get out. Without having to share a word, they all transformed at the same time.

Hitting him with her scepter, Stella was suddenly on her knees before the concerned eyes of her friends. Running to her side, the monster used this opportunity to escape. Slowly breaking out of her sudden slumber, she let the rage show on her face.

“I hit him and then I… I was having a nightmare again !” She explained.

Without waiting for anyone, she flew after the monster, her friends not far behind.

But each time they attacked, the monster got more powerful, and they grew tired. It was feeding off of their attacks and defenses. Soon enough, Tecna fell to the ground, and was soon followed by Musa. The two could hardly stand up after that, and watched, powerless, as their friends tried to protect them against the beast.

Bloom was attacked, too, and thrown against the wall, put to sleep and forced to have a nightmare. Stella immediately flew to her side, as the monster got out, and tried to wake her up. Flora flew in on the scene, trying to get them to move.

“We can’t ! After the terrible night we had, we’re too tired to fight that monster !”

Nonetheless, they all got up, and Stella teleported them on the campus. On guard, they didn’t notice anything until Bloom looked up, and screamed at them to get moving.

The monster landed right where they were standing, and used its tail to make her and Flora fall. Once again, the vision of her parents and Brendon turning away from her trapped her in her own head, and she slowly fell into a deep slumber, too tired to fight back.

But then she heard a dark laugh, and the nightmare ended. She got up and flew high into the sky, ready to fight once again, surprising her friends. They didn’t ask questions though, and all started firing.

The hope soon vanished, as Tecna was thrown back once again, unable to defend Musa who tried to attack as much as possible. Stella and Flora tried to get the beast’s attention, but it only took one more attack to make Musa literally fall to the ground, unconscious.

While Bloom got Tecna to safety, the two flying fairies heard a laugh, and turned to the entrance of the school to see the three witches flying in and joining the fight. Grinding her teeth, Bloom could only watch as the leader froze her two remaining friends in the air.

Anger blinded her, and she tried to fly, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

A gloved hand, that felt very familiar. Her entire body froze, as she felt the fabric of a glove. She didn’t have to turn around to know who was standing behind her.

Slowly, she felt the power flow back in her veins once again. It took all her might not to take off his hand, and she could only stare at the witches who were flying around as if they owned the school, probably searching for her.

When he stepped back, she turned around to steal a curious glance at him, but he was only focusing on the monster before him.

“I set off the alarm in your Headmaster’s office. She should be here soon. For the time being, don’t attack that thing.”

She nodded, and thanked him, and his eyes slowly traveled to her own when he heard those words. Then he nodded, and disappeared in the shadows. She blinked, unsure if she’d seen clearly, but decided there more pressing matters as she heard the cackles of the witches.

He didn’t give her a lot, only what was needed for her to fly and defend herself if she needed. But she refused to stay hidden when her friends had given all of their energy to fight back a monster that solely targeted her.

Flying high in the air to reach them, she had no time to react when they ordered the monster to attack her from behind. She put a hand in the air, and tried to fire at them, but the electricity going through her skin stopped her from doing so, and she had to let the monster wrap her in its tail as if she was a simple doll.

Icy appeared before her, smiling brightly as her sisters laughed out loud.

“Here you are, without any friend coming to your rescue, and prisoner of your own fears !”

She could taste the delectation in the witch’s voice, and her anger grew as she stared in her cold eyes.

A light appeared to her right, and took her attention away : Amaryl was standing at her window, looking at the fight, while her friends appeared. Soon, other fairies woke up and opened their windows, trying to figure out why there was so much noise outside.

“What is the meaning of this ?!”

The voice of Faragonda brought the girl hope, and she sighed in relief. Before screaming when the monster suddenly released her, and she hit the ground hard. She let a yelp out, but focused on the fight, ignoring the pain.

“Don’t touch my students !”

Her two friends fell once released of their ice cage when their headmaster broke the spell, and Stella didn’t move. Flora looked up, assessing the situation.

The old fairy focused on the monster, firing at him, and soon followed by Bloom and Flora. They didn’t have a lot of energy left, but they would still try. And after a few more spells, the monster finally disappeared, only dust flying where it once was standing.

Falling on her back, she closed her eyes to finally enjoy the peaceful breeze of the night on her skin, aware her Headmaster was going after the three sisters, and the situation was now under control.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and tensed as she opened her eyes, but only found the reassuring gaze of Tecna, who helped her to sit up. Looking around, she noticed Musa was slowly standing up too, and in the distance, Stella helped Flora get on her feet.

“Could someone explain what happened ?” Asked a very angry Headmistress.

“We’re sorry Mrs. Faragonda, we don’t know either. It was this creature ! It attacked us at night !”

“I don’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened to us if you hadn’t been there,” added Stella, a breathless Flora hardly standing on her own next to her.

“Yes,” agreed Musa, smiling as she saw a certain someone running her way. “And I don’t know what I can tell you Kiko, but that you’re my favorite bunny.”

Bloom watched the ears of her animal go down in embarrassment, and turned back to her Headmistress.

“I’m sure Mrs. Griffin will provide me with a very good explanation.”

The only thing she really cared about was having a good night sleep.

 

* * *

 

Weeks later, she realized that the magic Valtor had given her wasn’t exactly like her own.

It was hard the days after the fight to do anything, to get her magic to work properly. She blamed it on the fight, and the fact that she fought with all her might. But when her friends all got better, she began asking herself questions.

She needn’t search for long, as Professor Palladium asked them to perform a simple healing spell one day. She had gotten better, and was now almost as good as the other fairies when it came to using her magical powers. She had also discovered her healing powers were quite powerful, and came naturally to her.

Facing an orb, as did the other fairies, she concentrated her magical powers as it was usually asked when the professors wanted to measure their abilities, and their precision skill. All they had to do was focus on the orb and perform the spell on it. Then they would have the results, and the Professor could help them master each spell easily, because they knew what was wrong with their technique.

But it simply wouldn’t work. Every time she forced the magic out of her system, it flew out of her control and disappeared into the air. She’d been extremely upset, and got angry. Instead of the healing spell, she focused on destroying the orb, and a deafening noise had erupted from it. They were all forced to cover their ears and get out of the room as the professor got the situation back under control.

The professor had come out exhausted after a few minutes, and said the lesson was over. They all looked at each other, before smiling and bidding their goodbyes. Stella had jumped in the air, as Musa laughed.

“Imagine what Tecna and Flora are going to say !” Said the blonde.

“I’m pretty sure they’d prefer to stay in class,” observed the red head.

“Yeah you can’t take Tecna away from her studies !” Laughed the brunette.

Bloom left her friends, and went to the library.

She needed answers. How did she perform such magic ? It had felt like nothing she knew. It coursed through her veins, something darker than any spells she ever casted. The power it held had been grandiose. It had felt satisfying to finally release all that energy.

And it scared her. She could hardly control her powers, and now, she was given new abilities. Or maybe her powers were slowly changing. She had no idea what it was, and only hoped the library would help her understand how a fairy could suddenly have such dark powers.

A part of her was still scared at the idea that, maybe, she really was witch. Tensing as she took a book, she felt the magic in her get wild. It was only for some seconds, but she felt drained and only wished to destroy something. To feel better, _finally_.

It was hard to breathe.

 

* * *

 

Laughing with Stella, she nodded enthusiastically.

“Then let’s do it !”

It had taken a simple phone call, and her gut to decide and see what Brandon was up to. She knew he’d been weird ever since they’d gone to Cloud Tower, and the Trix made her believe she was a witch. But even after telling him the truth, he simply decided to hang up on her.

She wanted answers.

Walking inside the corridors of the Red Fountain after breaking in, she realized she might be lost after all.

She hesitated when a couple passed her, a guard on each side, and a crown of gold on both of their heads. She didn’t think people as important as a King and a Queen would assist to such a ceremony, but they probably were Sky’s parents. He was the only royalty she knew to study in Red Fountain.

Before she could even bow to them, they were already far, and because she was still watching them, she bumped into a girl she hadn’t even heard coming, and fell backward on her bottom. She winced, her wounds from the battle against the monster not totally healed yet.

She had felt happy to know the Trix had been kicked out of their school, though. She finally had received some good news.

Looking on her right, she saw one of those Magix phones : it was one of the latest holograms models. She stared at the image of Brandon, smiling at the blonde girl before her. She was blonde, and had a very chic look. And probably owned a lot of money to buy such clothes.

When the girl was up, she looked at the red head with hate and disdain. Under her gaze, Bloom felt like a cockroach, and some part of her grew angry : she was tired of people looking at her like this. As if she wasn’t worth respecting.

“Watch your steps peasant ! Do you not know who I am ? Or are you as dense as you look ?”

Unblinking, she looked into her beautiful golden eyes of the girl with anger. Getting up, she simply bowed in a mocking manner, never letting her out her sight, and then walked past her, resisting the urge to push her down once again. Brandon would have to explain what kinds of relationships he had. This girl didn’t seem to be his type of friend at all.

She ignored the mumbling of the girl, smiling to herself.

As she kept on walking, she finally found the arena. Hiding in the shadows, she watched as the show began, and immediately recognized her friends. She smiled as they swirled into the air, showing off their skills to the crowd. She would have clapped and encouraged them, if only she wasn’t there illegally.

A shift in the air made her sigh, and she looked to her side with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn’t know this was your kind of show.”

“You don’t know a lot about me.”

“Touchée,” she said with a smile as she turned back to watch why people were suddenly louder.

“So, how is your magic ?”

After she lost control of her powers, she had to get back to Andros to get answers from the person that had put this dark energy in her. And she guessed right. Going to Andros with the help of Stella and Tecna, she discovered he kept an eye on her since her last visit, and had tried to “help” her. She didn’t know how to feel about it, but accepted his explanation as the blonde Princess crossed her arms, and the technology fairy took in everything surrounding them.

After that, he simply drained the dark powers out of her, and she’d felt her natural energy come back immediately, taking the place once occupied by darkness. The wizard had apologized, although she wasn’t sure he’d been honest, and thanked him before they went back to their school, still unharmed as their two friends disputed them for not warning them.

Two weeks later, she was passing her tests and obtaining some of the best grades in her class. She still had trouble controlling the power of her attacks, but it seemed to be the case for most fairies, so she stopped worrying.

She had finally reached the same level of competence as her comrades, and happiness had lifted her through the last days, until Stella brought up the boys subject, reminding her she had yet to tell Brandon the truth about what she learned about their trip to the witches’ school.

Hanging up on her, after he practically ignored her since that event made her believe something was up. And she wanted to see what it was with her own eyes.

“Back to normal.”

He hummed.

“What are you doing here ? I didn’t know fairies broke rules.”

“You don’t know that much about me.”

“Touché,” he laughed.

Her smile grew wider.

A strange bond had formed between them. She didn’t know what to think of him just yet, but knew perfectly well how much she was playing with fire. She saw the extent of his crimes, every time she stepped foot in Andros or watched the news. The darkness he was spreading over the magical dimension was scary.

But he was the only one willing to help her. She never told him about her suspicions, about being the fairy he tried to murder multiple times. Some part of her believed he already suspected it anyway.

This man held many answers, and she wanted to get as much knowledge from him as possible.

“I wanted to see how my _dear_ friends were doing without me,” he explained, his voice bitter.

She glanced at her Headmaster who was sitting between Griffin and Saladin.

“And ?”

“They aged.”

She snorted.

“Are you going to do anything against them ?”

A moment of silence passed. Stealing a quick glance at his face, she felt relieved knowing he wasn’t angry at her question, merely thinking.

“Not yet.”

She nodded, before tensing as she saw Brandon fall off his bike. The man next to her laughed, and she had to resist the urge to shut him up. She wasn’t that comfortable with him, after all.

Soon enough though, the Specialist was back up on his feet, and she relaxed. The rational part in her knew he was used to that kind of treatment, but she couldn’t stop her concern from taking over.

The three boys other boys got off their bike, and suddenly dragons were entering the arena, sitting in front of the young trainees. Admiration for the Specialists flew into her : how could someone stand up to such a majestic animal ?

At first, everything went well, but Brandon acted strangely, attacking what she believed to be Riven, and the purple dragon fell to the ground. She bit her lower lip, hoping this was planned.

But of course it wasn’t. Riven was too proud to accept such a public humiliation.

Soon, they made the two dragons fight, as their two friends, Sky and probably Timmy, watched powerlessly as the situation went out of control. Before she even thought of intervening, a teacher ran into the arena and calmed the situation. Bloom sighed, relieved that none were injured.

“Well, the Prince got out unscratched this time,” said Valtor.

Before she could ask any question, the King she saw earlier shouted for the squire to come at once. Her eyes were still on Brandon when she saw Sky running towards the King.

And then _kneeling_.

Her heart stopped.

“My Lord !”

“Where were you when my son needed you ? You have neglected his safety !”

The man grumbled a bit, and then walked away as he dismissed the young man, his wife and guards with him.

Her eyes went back to Brandon, his blond air disheveled by now, and his piercing blue eyes staring apologetically at his friend. His friend, who was supposedly a Prince, and had just answered to the “Squire” title.

The blonde wizard laughed, and she felt like time slowed as she looked at him. His eyes were merciless as he mocked the young man’s situation, and shame. Once again, she found herself looking at something she tried to deny until now.

He enjoyed watching people suffer. And if he was so happy for her friends’ predicament, she didn’t even want to think about the waves of euphoria he must’ve felt when he destroyed Domino.

He looked at her, and his laugh died.

“Why so serious little fairy ?”

She shook her head, looking back to the Specialists and Dragons as they slowly exited the arena.

“Nothing.”

He smirked.

“For a-“

“You !” Screamed someone accusingly.

Both tensed. Bloom immediately recognized the man she fooled when entering the school, and started running the other way. Valtor’s hand on her wrist was the only thing that kept her in place. His grip wasn’t strong, but she was still afraid of him.

“Why don’t you fight ? You have magic.”

Her eyes darted between him and the guard walking alarmingly fast in her direction.

“I won’t fight an innocent !”

“Well then use a confusing spell.”

The tone of his voice didn’t suggest anything at all. It was an order. For a reason, he wanted to see her perform magic.

“I don’t want to !”

She tried to get her arm back, but his grip only got tighter.

“You don’t even have to hurt him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean ?!”

Fighting against him, she noticed the man stopping in his tracks when he recognized the man she was with. For a moment, the guard stood still, then took a step backward. And another.

Her priorities were set straight at that exact moment : she couldn’t let anyone know she was acquainted with the dark wizard. If he ran back to his comrades, she would be exposed. She would be kicked out of Alfea and sent home if they took pity on her. Or they would let her rot in Omega.

Snapping her fingers with her free hand, the guard fell to the ground sound asleep, and Valtor’s grip disappeared from her wrist.

“Now, was it that difficult ?”

She glared at him, willing herself not to slap him.

“Don’t _ever_ do that again.”

He smiled cruelly, but didn’t say a word. He needn’t though.

She knew he could do it again if he wanted to. May it be physical or magical strength, she had no power against him. Her words were nothing to him. He took and did what he desired, when he felt like it.

Decided not to let him win, she walked past him and into the crowd, to finally get out of Red Fountain.

It had all been a mistake, she realized as she let the crowd lead her to the nearest exit. Today had only brought sorrow and pain to her heart. She learned almost nothing, except that Sky wasn’t a Prince apparently.

She didn’t wait for her friends, and went back to school immediately. Still angry, she tried not to think too much about what happened in the Arena. Which led her to remember what happened before she found it.

The blonde girl.

The red head froze.

Didn’t she call Brandon “Sky” once she’d retrieved her phone on the ground ?

Doubt washed over her.

That would mean he lied to her this entire time. Leading her on purposefully. And what did that make of Sky, the squire ? Did that mean _he_ was the real Brandon ?

Confused, she stepped off the bus, and walked slowly up to her room. She needed to talk to Stella.

Sitting in the living room, her head in her face, she once again felt the magic coursing through her veins. This time, she could control it, but it didn’t make her feel better.

Everyone was lying to her. Faragonda, her parents, the witches… even her friends ! She was tired of it. She only wished to have magical powers and a life full of wonders. Not a living nightmare where she was fighting everyone she came across.

She was tired of going into dangerous places where her life was endangered, just because people wouldn’t tell her the truth for whatever reason they had. It was even worse when they pretended it was for her own sake ! She was the one people targeted, the one with her life on the line, and if it was about her, she had the right to know.

She didn’t want any more secrets. She wanted this hell to be over with. She needed to know the truth about her past, and maybe it was time she went to this Roccaluce lake. She would get her answers, one way or another. And the nymph was her key.

As the door opened and a crying Stella ran past her under the sad gazes of her friends, only one thought crossed her mind, her heart heavy in her chest.

She couldn’t breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So looong to write !  
> Do you know what the hardest part of this chapter was ? Making sure I put “Brandon” and not “Sky”. It was so confusing XD  
> It’s also time for French lessons ! So, some words in English are actually French. Like, for example, “touché”. It means the same thing in French as it does in English. But what is really weird, is when you’re reading a sentence where a girl says “touché” : when a female character does, you have to add an “e” at the end, making it “touchée”. And when you write the word "façade", don't forget about the little thing under the "c", it's really important. Here, I just wanted you all to know XD  
> Anyway hope you liked this chapter, and see you in the next episode ^^


	4. The Dragon Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was at a loss, honestly. I didn’t know how to continue the story, and wanted to include a certain someone in the story a little bit earlier, just like Valtor and… here it is !   
> A big thank you to everyone who comments, it really makes me want to work and finish every chapter. Sometimes I’m really at a loss and well, your comments make me so happy and I want to post the next chapter asap… Obviously it never goes that way XD But thank you anyway.  
> I hope you enjoy this fourth chapter, and we aren’t far from the season 1 finale.

Mondays often were the easiest days. The girls were together in every classes, and they mostly experimented with their magic, something every fairy loved to do. It was satisfying to see how their work payed off now that their first year was coming to an end. Bloom barely had to think before her hair changed color.

But after the fiasco in Red Fountain, only Flora and Tecna still had that fire in their eyes as they tried their best to get their spells to work. The three other simply stared at whatever was before them, and blinked, lost in their thoughts. The blonde was trying to hide her anger, as the fire fairy looked sadly at her homework and tried to contain her tears, and Musa was just trying to mute everything around her.

Of course, the professors weren’t too happy with that attitude. Stella was the first to get on their nerves, obviously because she always liked to think about anything but what was going on in front of her. But when Bloom got reprimanded, and finally Musa, it seemed they were in for the biggest trouble of their lives.

The red head actually believed, for a moment, that she was about to get kicked out of class, for the first time in her life. And what would’ve been a scary thought some weeks ago, was just a fatality she already accepted. She was ready to get up and leave even before anyone told her to, as the teacher whispered something and went to his desk.

 When the door opened and Griselda barged in, her interest sparked up to life. Behind the matron, stood a black girl, with beautiful blue eyes and curly hair.

“This is Layla, Princess and Heir to the throne of Andros. She is to follow classes in Alfea until the end of the school year.”

She shot a glare at the professor, and then turned around. Palladium cleared his throat, and invited the new student to take the only seat available in the back of the class. The Princess nodded, of course, and went straight to it.

When she did so, her eyes found Bloom’s, and they stared at each other for a second, before she sat next to her. The red head felt weirdly threatened, as if she should be wary of this newcomer. She just put that impression on the fact that she knew the person who actively tried to take over her Kingdom, and focused back on the lesson.

The other girls exchanged a look, before they all tried their best to get back on the task at hand. All, except Stella of course, who simply yawned, before crossing her arms, waiting for the class to be over, as she actually already knew how to perform the spell taught in class.

It felt like they escaped hell as they shot out of their seat when the bell rang, and only turned around when they realized the blonde fairy wasn’t behind them. Musa groaned, as Tecna investigated and looked back into the classroom.

Her eyes widened a bit, and she faced her friends, tense.

“She’s talking with the Andros Princess.”

Biting her lip, Bloom felt an uneasy feeling settle in her stomach. And she’d been right, because when Stella came out, she didn’t look particularly overjoyed. She was about to ask her something, when the other Princess came out too, and followed the blonde towards their group.

Musa crossed her arms, and Tecna put a hand on her hip. Bloom stayed wary, as Flora stared at the ground.

“Girls, this is Layla. She’ll be living in our dorm. Griselda told her to seek us out, so we could show her the rest of the school tomorrow.”

They nodded, welcomed the newcomer, and turned around to get to their final class of the day. The Princess didn’t say anything, and the silence took over the six girls. They didn’t want to risk saying something that could get them into trouble.

That way, their last lesson ended, and they found out Layla had a room all to herself when they got back to their dorm.

“If they can magically put that up in a day, then why do we have to share a room too ?” Asked Musa quietly as the Princess closed the door, gritting her teeth.

“She’s a Princess,” shrugged Flora.

 

* * *

 

 

After the initial surprise, and the fear of being discovered, they grew to like their new companion. As the fairy of fluids, she was quite the helpful towards Flora’s plants and experiences in general, and tried to help in Mirta’s case as soon as she understood why a giant pumpkin was put on their table.

Musa and her found out they liked music and dancing as much as each other, and Stella found herself trying to befriend the other girl, and look past their differences, and the rivality between their two Kingdoms.

Overall, the once tense situation became loose and the Winx were back to their routine, albeit with a new person in their group. Layla had been enchanted, and that made Bloom happy. But also quite guilty.

As she supposed, if the Princess came for the last month of lessons in Alfea it was because of Valtor. The situation was too bad for anyone to stay on Andros, and her parents hadn’t given her any choice. She was the future of their country, and they couldn’t put her life on the line. It was also because the last teacher went away, scared something might happen to him too, and she was left without any education.

Here she was, away from her family, and unable to help them, because of _her_.

That night, she let the tears of regret fall silently on her pillow.

 

* * *

 

 

She sighed.

Facing the lake Roccaluce, she felt uneasy, but at peace. Some part of her was scared of what could happen down there, but she tried to ignore it. This was her only way of getting an answer. If this nymph had anything to say to her, she would be able to tell her here.

Looking behind her, she saw the anxious faces of Tecna and Stella. None of them knew what would happen, and she decided she wouldn’t go completely alone. If anything happened, Tecna would get the signal, and they would be able to help her.

Going inside the lake had been Layla’s idea : as she got closer to the five girls with whom she shared a lot in the past week, she eventually learned that Bloom was going through some identity crisis. And when she understood that their only hint required to go underwater, something the fairies couldn’t do, she immediately took it upon herself to teach them how to breath underwater, just like her people did.

Bloom had tried to dissuade her, in vain. Her words had fallen on deaf ears, and two days later, she found herself following very intense lessons, as she and the girls learned to manipulate the air around them.

Musa and Flora had succeeded in a few tries, and Layla had been fairly impressed. Bloom got the spell under control the next day. Tecna and Stella still had some troubles, but it was to be expected. If Musa and Flora were closer to the magic forces around them, Tecna and Stella used their powers in a different manner : while the pink haired girl worked around computers and sometimes electricity, the Solarian Princess fed on the light around her.

Bloom was a mystery, but the Andros Princess guessed it was because fire fed on the air around them to exist and grow. And, after all, she was the one who needed to get into the lake and breath, so it didn’t really matter in the end.

Slowly, she made her way into the water and towards the other fairies. It was cold, and she stood still, fighting the urge to get back onto the ground. Step by step, she submerged herself a little more, until her head was the only thing outside.

It felt as if magic enveloped her, not water. Tentatively, she put her head underwater, keeping her eyes opened. She looked straight into Layla’s eyes, who nodded, and then focused on the water around her.

Layla had been right. Once you could do it on Earth, it was easy to do it in the water too.  Putting her thumb up out of the water, as did her three companions to tell the two girls outside everything was fine, they slowly made their way inside the very heart of the lake.

“What are we looking for exactly ?” Asked the Princess.

“I don’t know,” answered Bloom. “In the vision Faragonda showed me, we were in some secluded area. So a… cave, or something.”

Looking around, they decided to walk around the edges, until Flora gasped. They all turned at once, preparing to fight a monster off, when they realized some rocks were just collapsing on top of each other. Sighing, they turned around.

“Wait ! There’s a passage !”

The flower fairy swam up to the rocks, and started getting them out of the way under the eyes of her friends. Eventually, they joined her, and cleared the entrance.

“Are we really getting inside ?” Asked Musa.

“Well, it’s the only thing we have for now,” said Layla.

“I’m going in first,” stated Bloom.

Before any of them could say anything, she swam inside. Immediately, the flower fairy went after her, closely followed by her two friends.

They didn’t have to walk a lot.

As soon as the passed some kind of corridor, they faced a bigger room, and in the center stood a giant and purple shellfish. They stared at it for a moment,  before light erupted from it and they had to shy away from it. All except Bloom.

Before her eyes stood the nymph, shining and beautiful, just as she saw her in her dreams. Widening her eyes, she took a few steps towards her, as her friends still had to put their hands in front of their eyes.

“Bloom what’s happening ?!” Asked a panicked Musa.

Looking around her, she realized her friends’ situation. It seemed the light was blinding them, while she had no problem looking straight into the nymph’s eyes. She raised an eyebrow at the woman before her.

“I don’t know… Daphné… What’s happening ?”

“Daphné ?” Repeated Layla.

“You are the only one who can see me, little sister.”

“Little sister ?” It was Flora’s turn to repeat the words she heard.

“Who’s talking ?!” Asked the two other fairies as one.

“It’s Daphné she… she’s here she…”

“Come closer.”

Bloom did as told.

“When I last saw you, you were just a baby,” she said tenderly.

“Who are you ?”

The nymph laughed. It was beautiful, like music to their ears.

“I am Daphné, Nymph of Sirenix, previous keeper of the Dragon Flame, and Princess of Domino.”

Bloom’s heart missed a beat. Her thoughts were swirling in her head, and she already knew the answer to her questions. But she refused to acknowledge it, because it was so big that it couldn’t possibly be real. It couldn’t be happening to her. She couldn’t be related to this nymph. She couldn’t. She just couldn’t. It was impossible.

“You are my little sister.”

She choked on the water around her, and fell to her knees.

“When the Three Ancestral Witches attacked our Kingdom, I teleported you towards Earth, somewhere those damned creatures wouldn’t be able to find you.”

“Then does that mean I-“

Her voice cracked, and she would swear she felt tears rolled down her cheeks, even if it was physically impossible.

“You are the Heir to the throne of Domino, Princess Bloom, and keeper of the Dragon Flame.”

She stared at the Nymph, speechless. The woman smiled.

“People are going to fight for your powers, but you will be stronger, my little sister. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Opening her arms, another wave of light hit the girls, and this time even Bloom had to look away. It took only a second, and then the Nymph was gone.

“-grrls ! Girls ! Answer god dammit !”

“We need to go down there !”

The voices of their friends took them out of their torpor, and Layla immediately took hold of her phone. Only Bloom seemed unable to take her eyes off where the Nymph had been standing seconds ago.

“It’s okay girls ! We’re okay !”

“Layla ?! Thank God ! We’ve been trying to reach you for ten minutes ! What happened ?”

“Let’s talk about this when we’re out of here,” interrupted Musa.

Bloom turned around, and followed her lead.

 

* * *

 

 

This time she came alone, at night. She couldn’t risk Layla having suspicions.

Walking into the cave, she found nothing but ice, and some mermaids swimming around, not paying her any attention. She hesitated, before deciding to get deeper into the cave, on her guards. She didn’t know if Valtor was still residing here, but she would take her chances.

She walked into some kind of library, cut in the ice, but there were no books. What had seemed to be a living room last time was now empty. And as she walked in this labyrinth, she couldn’t ignore the feeling in her gut that told her something was wrong.

Eventually, she found the portal. Sighing, she realized the wizard had left, and she had no idea how to find him anymore. She would have to wait until he reappeared.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here ?”

Turning around immediately, she found herself staring at the Trix. Who looked very angry.

“What are you doing here ?”

“I think it’s time we take what’s ours”, said Icy as she ignored the fairy’s comment.

Bloom didn’t think twice, and immediately fired at them, letting the smoke engulf them as she threw herself into the portal, leading her to the only place she could think of in this moment : Gardenia.

Appearing in her house, her two parents immediately stood up from the couch, and rushed to her side. Her eyes widened as she realized her mistake, and she urged them to run away. But of course, they refused, and tried to get answers from her.

It was too late anyway, as the three witches appeared right above them, and Darcy threw them against the wall. She gasped, before retaliating, but only succeeding in sending Stormy into the library. While her sisters checked on her, she flew to her parents, checking them for injuries, before trying to get them to the door.

She should have known the Trix wouldn’t come alone.

Knut broke the door down, and stared at her scared face. Before she could do anything, Darcy had conjured a rope to tie her parents together, and created a dark portal. The red head didn’t even want to know where it led, but stopped moving, hoping the Witches would too.

But they didn’t, they just threw her parents inside, and Bloom immediately flew inside to get them back into the real word. It was hard and she felt the pain as her wings painfully tried to get them all back into safety.

“Really ? Stupid little Winx.”

She barely registered Icy’s comment before Stormy decided to drop a lightning on her. The fairy screamed as she and her parents were thrown to the side, staying still from all the energy coursing through her.

“Look at you, pathetic.”

Then it was Darcy’s turn, she guessed, as her whole word turned upside-down and she couldn’t decipher the real from the hallucinations. She saw monsters all around her, and spiders crawling up her body. She screamed and tried to get them off, while hearing the sisters mock her.

Her vision got dark, and she felt lightning igniting her body again. She yelled in pain, and kept twitching, unable to control her own body.

“You should know Bloom, that our Ancestors tried to take your powers and failed. They were old and frail. We’re young, and determined.”

The red head barely succeeded in sitting up.

“It is our mission to finish what they started.”

The two other witches nodded, and laughed as they watched the pitiful fairy get up on her two feet.

“Your sister protected you once. But she’s not here anymore.”

Without the witches’ knowing, she tapped into her magical core and, as instructed by Flora, asked for help. She didn’t want things to come to that, but she had no choice. She called to Stella, and simply hoped they would make it in time.

Who knew what these witches had planned for her.

“You still have to go through me.”

“You ?” Laughed Icy. “Just look at what I’m doing with you !”

Bloom widened her eyes, as cold engulfed her and she found herself stuck in ice, only able to move her head around. She was cold and terrified this time, and her gaze found the two sister’s, who simply laughed at her, madness shining in their eyes.

“No throne would suit you better than this, Princess.”

She spat the last word with glee, and Darcy took her place, attacking the red head with a confusing spell. After that, she lost sense of where she was, and what was happening to her. Her mind was blank.

She only felt something being ripped off her chest. Something was taken away from her, and her breath got caught in her throat. For an excruciating moment, she found herself unable to breath. Everything was dark and threatening around her, and she felt herself slowly drifting away.

And opened her eyes.

Stella was standing over her, and she felt the arms of her parents around her. She felt cold, and shuddered.

“Bloom, how to do you feel ?”

“I’m… cold.”

Her dad moved his hands up and down her arms, hoping to be of help. Stella smiled, and conjured a spell, making the room warmer instantly.

“What have they done to you ?”

“They… they took my powers.”

Her friend stood still for a moment, and then hugged her too.

Bloom couldn’t contain her tears, and cried. Stella took care of everything, and explained why the Trix were after her, even the Princess part. They were shocked, as anyone would be, but agreed it was in her best interest to get back to Alfea.

The red head didn’t react when the blonde teleported them into their bedroom, and simply stared at the wall. The other girls were awake, and immediately rushed to her side. She tried to smile, but found that she couldn’t. She was simply too tired.

She fell asleep at one point, and woke up to a worried Flora.

“Mrs. Faragonda wants to see you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the last part with the Trix : I translated the French dialogues into English. I thought the Rai version was really… hm… Nice compared to what was said in my country’s version, and more fitting to the Trix. Maybe because I grew up with it…  
> Anyway tell me what you thought of this chapter, I don’t think it’s the most interesting one (because it's scenes we've already kinda seen in the canon) but it sets things up for what I want next.  
> So comment ! I really like to see what you have to say, what your favorite part was, what you think is going to happen…  
> And I’ll see you all in the next chapter ^^


	5. Domino

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao so, you know, in order to get the chapters right, I do watch the season 1 on the side to be sure I’m not making anything up or remember things the wrong way. And right in the middle of writing this chapter, the account with all the French episodes on it got shut down. Thankfully there was another person who uploaded everything, but for a moment I really thought I would’ve to go onto some other website with bad connection and…  
> And here I was in the last chapter, disappointed with myself because it was the shortest I had done. Well here is the new one, the longest I have ever written for this fic ! So enjoy !

For the second time in her life, Bloom was greeted by the sight of an uncomfortable Griselda, who showed herself as compassionate as she could towards the young student. Bloom could see in her eyes the pity and regret. She didn’t like it, but at least they weren’t yelling at her. Yet.

Faragonda was at her desk, sitting before her student. Some part of her was wary of the woman, believing it would maybe be a better idea to hide the truth. She couldn’t reveal she tried to get to Andros in the hopes of meeting the most dangerous enemy of the Magical Dimension right now. After the Trix, of course.

Although, maybe another nightmare would awaken in the days to follow. The wizard had left Magix alone, which had put everyone on high alert. Everyone wondered if he was planning to strike, and destroy everything. Most of his enemies, if not all, lived on the planet after all. Or maybe he allied himself to the Trix, and simply promised them they could do whatever they desired with Magix.

These suppositions were the last they ever read in the newspaper before Magix fell silent. No one knew what happened for certain, but it seemed the city was now empty. Tecna and Timmy were unable to find trace of life from the school, and buses had stopped coming to Alfea for a long time now.

“Well Bloom, tell us what happened.”

She really wished she didn’t have to.

“I… needed some time off. I just thought… I would never compare. To the other students.”

_Lies, lies, lies !_

“Oh Bloom.”

“I… just needed something familiar. And it allowed me to understand some things. Like what my purpose is… or rather was.”

“What does that mean ?”

She glanced back up at her Headmistress, whose eyes were full of concern. Immediately, she set them back down. If they saw just how much she was lying, they would never accept her back into the school. She didn’t have a choice.

“I discovered who I really am. The last Princess of Domino, and Keeper of the Dragon Flame,” she explained as the tears started to fall. But she didn’t look up. “The crown the Nymph gave me, it was a symbol. That I am the Princess. And she gave her life for me.”

“I understand but you represent this symbol.”

A cold shiver ran through her spine.

So her theory was right. Her Headmistress knew all along, but never said anything. She kept her eyes on her knees, willing the anger away. She wouldn’t show any reaction. She didn’t want to give them that.

“So you knew.”

“Yes Bloom, but understand that sometimes, the research to find who you are is more important than knowing who you are.”

_Yeah right._

“You weren’t ready for these news.”

She bit back a laugh. What a load of crap. Her professor pictured herself as brilliant and wise, but she only seemed stupid. Bloom had the right to know, and hiding the truth from her had been a mistake. She would’ve never taken any risks if she’d told her. Or they wouldn’t have been as big, anyway.

“Well at least it would’ve been from you.”

“What ?”

She scoffed lightly, and finally looked directly in her Headmistress’ eyes.

“Icy, Darcy and Stormy followed me home. They attacked me, and my family, before taking my powers and revealing the truth about who I am.”

The two women gasped, and Bloom felt the urge to roll her eyes. What did those women really expect, anyway ? If the power of the Dragon Flame was as powerful as people said, then it was only normal someone would try and steal it. The three old witches destroyed an entire planet in the hopes of gaining this power.

She decided she would keep her week-end trip to the lake secret. This was between her, and her friends.

“Then Bloom, I fear there is something else you should know.”

At that point, her eyes must’ve been empty from all emotions. She was mentally and physically tired. Maybe this wasn’t the best time to learn something new, but did she have a choice ? At least her professor was now telling her the truth, and she would be prepared for what was to come.

“As you know, a powerful wizard has escaped from his ice sentence on Omega.”

Her breath caught in her throat, and she was glad the two women thought she was simply scared of the name, and the deeds she saw he’d done on TV. That was half of the truth, after all.

"His name is Valtor. He was working in the name of the Three Ancestral Witches. Your parents, King Oritel and Queen Marion, were the ones to trap him, and make him powerless. It happened some months before the final battle in Domino's Royal Castle. He should have served for eternity, but something happened and let him get away."

She let fear show on her face. If she stayed emotionless, they would deem it suspicious for sure, especially after all that happened. And she really was anxious about those news. If this was true, then she had freed her worst enemy. As long as he didn’t know who she was, she would be fine. She hoped.

“He was made of the dark part of the Dragon Flame, but just like his Mothers, the Three Ancestral Witches, he wanted that power for himself. From what we gathered, he hopes to become the most powerful sorcerer this world has ever seen, and rule all of us.”

Her heart missed a beat. _Made from the dark part of the Dragon Flame ?_

“He was never spotted on Magix, and I doubt we’ll ever see him near our school, but if he ever found you, this could be a lot of trouble for you.”

She nodded, and waited. She had nothing to say, if she was being honest with herself. Eventually, the women offered her smiles and words to reassure her, telling her she would get back her powers one way or another, and that they would work their hardest to achieve it.

Bloom went back to her room after that, and talked with her friends. They were sitting in their living room when it started to rain. She looked in boredom at it, until she saw something crawl up their window. And then another.

“What’s that ?” Asked Tecna, who also noticed something was weird with the rain.

Walking closer, they realized some disgusting little cockroaches had taken over Alfea’s castle. Screaming in terror, Stella released all her magic at once, destroying the window. This didn’t stop the creatures from coming back, and they hesitated for a moment, before the Professor Palladium opened the door suddenly, and ordered them to evacuate their rooms.

The castle was under attack. And they already knew who was behind it.

They tried to fight the creatures back, along with the other students, but it didn’t seem to do anything. They were invincible, and they were starting to lose hope when all of a sudden, the disgusting army was retreating, leaving Alfea alone.

They looked at each other, Bloom from her place in the shadows as she was unable to help, and wondered about what had just happened.

The next day, the five of them were asked to go into the Headmistress office.

Mrs. Faragonda had decided it would be for the better if Bloom, along with her friends, went back to Domino, to try and find something about her powers. Something that could help her. Layla arrived later, and insisted on going. She didn’t want to sit around.

The girls didn’t say anything, but weren’t too thrilled about the news. After all, they had hoped to talk about Valtor freely. Now that the Princess of Andros was going with them, this was one less opportunity. But at least they would have one more fighter with them, and they were glad.

Some moments later, they were back into the Simulator Room, all six of them, while the professors stood behind the glass. Bloom felt uneasy, knowing how it turned out last time, and was thankful her friends would be with her this time.

“I can proudly announce that I took advantage of the simulator being tampered with, and can now use it to teleport you all to Domino.”

Blue lights came out of nowhere, and flew above them. They turned their clothes into something more adapted to cold weather. They started sweating immediately, and looked through their yellow glasses at the black glass, waiting for their professor to send them on their mission.

“Remember girls. Everything that happens is real. You ought to be careful, and calm, but above all I simply wish you good luck.”

His words almost didn’t reach them, as a blinding light made them close their eyes, and cold wind hit their faces, making Flora fall on her back. Layla and Tecna were there to help, as the others took in their surroundings.

“Well then,” said Stella. “Let’s go.”

They walked for what seemed to be hours, never even uttering a word because of how cold it was around them. They simply had their eyes set on what Tecna thought to be the castle, and nothing else mattered.

Although, that was before a yeti came into their sight, and they had to run away.

Stella immediately transformed, but quickly realized her magic alone was useless. They prepared themselves to run or transform, when it threw a giant, pointy stalagmite their way, and it planted itself into the ground, hardly missing them.

But the ground started to shake, and under their bewildered eyes, it cracked open. It took only a second, but Bloom felt herself falling forward, into the hole. Layla reacted instantly, and caught her wrist. But it was too late, and under the weight of the falling fairy, they both disappeared from the other’s view.

The both of them screamed, as Layla was unable to transform and stop their fall, and they ended up colliding on the icy snow, before slipping away without being able to take control over the trajectory. Finally they ended up on a pile of snow, the fluid fairy on top of the fire fairy.

Layla stood up once she realized on what, or who, she was sitting, and Bloom got up laughing.

“We were really lucky,” said Layla.

“We’re alive,” stated with stupor the red head.

“Let’s not call it quits yet,” remarked her friend. “We’re in the middle of some kind of cave, and I won’t be able to transform and lift you back up outside.”

“Let’s explore this place then.”

It took them about thirty minutes, but finally they arrived in what seemed to be the castle they had been looking for. Bloom was happy to finally see it, but a part of her heart twisted inside her chest as she saw the damages caused by the Three Ancestral Witches. She stole a glance towards Layla, and wondered just how bad she must’ve been feeling all this time because of Valtor.

She was strong, and never talked about how things were back in her home. But Stella knew, as another Princess, that she was going through a very hard time. Solaria had started taking in refugees from Andros, and because she was part of Royalty, had access to some secret information. She didn’t say anything, to respect the Princess, but had assured that she wouldn’t personally handle it as well.

The ground started to shake once again, and they panicked, before looking up when they heard the rest of the Winx scream their names. The four fairies smiled and went down once Stella and Tecna had finished melting the snow and ice away.

“Look ! The underground hallways are intact !”

They all walked closer, and saw that Tecna was, as usual, right.

“Maybe the Ancient Witches didn’t know about them ?” Supposed Flora.

“Well in that case I propose we visit them.”

Less than a minute later, and with the light from Stella’s scepter, they were walking once again, but had no idea where the passageway was leading them. They tried to smile to ease the tension, and joke around, but as time went by, they all started to wonder if it even led somewhere.

That’s when Bloom felt it. A dark energy well ahead of them. She almost stopped in her tracks, but wondered if it was just her imagination as she saw her friends keep on going like nothing happened. But with each step she took, she felt the energy grow stronger. Until it was too much and she stopped walking, turning around to look at her friends.

“Don’t you feel it ?” She finally asked.

They looked at each other, confused.

“Feel what ?” Asked Layla warily.

“The… energy, the magic.”

They shook their heads. But light erupted from behind her, and the magic felt so familiar she didn’t even have to turn around to know her sister had appeared from nowhere, and was now staring at them.

“She’s beautiful,” whispered Stella.

“Welcome,” she said in a melodic tone. “We meet at last… follow me !”

She didn’t wait for their approval, and flew away. They followed her suit though, climbing stairs and following her through empty corridors. It was obvious it asked a lot from the Nymph to be here, as she kept disappearing, her magic failing her.

“Daphné…”

“Hush, don’t talk, just listen,” she said. “I was once the Nymph of the lake Roccaluce, but it was in this castle that we were both born. Unfortunately, you will not find what you are looking for in here, but answers about your origins.”

Finally, they saw doors. They reached the ceiling, and two statues of Nymph armed stared at them, as if they were guarding it, making sure no one would enter without their permission.

“It would be best for you to go alone,” stated the Nymph as she looked straight into her sister’s eyes.

The red head looked back at her friends, who nodded, and she passed the doors on her own, letting them close behind her, and cut her from any way out.

Around her, gold and jewels covered every corner of the room. Everything shined around the Nymph, and her eyes were glued onto the pedestal. She knew the dark energy was stronger, but decided to ignore it, as she walked closer to her sister, and gasped as she saw the crown Mrs. Faragonda had showed her in her vision.

“That’s…”

“It’s your crown, yes.”

Unblinking, she let her eyes take in the majesty and beauty of what was in front of her, before opening the strange glass protecting it and delicately take it off the pillow it rested on.

“Take it, and listen carefully.”

She was immediately attacked by visions of the assault led by the witches on the castle. Their attempts at taking her, killing her for her power, and saw her sister running in the same hidden corridors she was in, opening a portal for her to get to Earth safely, before the witches appeared and she was unable to follow.

She came back to the real world feeling tears roll down her cheeks.

“Well, who would’ve thought you were the little lost Princess of Domino ?”

“You !”

The accusatory tone from her sister forced Bloom to look into the shadows, as the wizard she freed months ago came into the light, his smirk plastered on his face. But she read uncertainty in his eyes, and delight as he stared at the Nymph.

“How dare you step a foot in here after all you’ve-“

“Oh Daphné dear, please stop talking. I’m here for Bloom.”

“I won’t let you touch her !”

He sighed. And decided to ignore her as he climbed the steps, and stood in front of the fairy, softly taking the crown from her hands without the girl fighting back. There were too many thoughts swirling in her head, and right now she didn’t know whether to hate the man in front of her and call her friends as reinforcement, or to finally ask the questions she had.

Ask him to help her gain her powers back.

“I knew there was something weird about you, the first time I saw you,” he said. “I could feel you, before I could see you, before I even knew about your existence.”

“Bloom don’t let that man talk you into doing anything !” Said the Nymph, suddenly looking very tired.

“It’s okay Daphné,” answered the red head softly, tearing her gaze away from the wizard’s for just a second.

“Bloom…” she whispered, taken aback, as the wizard grew serious.

“I felt your power, and wondered why it felt so familiar. I never thought you would be the one to free me. But I guess fate works in mysterious ways,” he said as he looked at the Nymph. When she didn’t react, he looked back at the fairy in seriousness, and when he understood she didn’t feel threatened, he stepped closer to her, closing any distance that was left between them, and gently placed the crown on her head. “There, it looks better.”

His tone was soft, and he stepped back almost immediately, taking in the sight of the Princess he had tried to find and destroy several times already. She simply touched her head, to assure herself the crown was still there, but never took her eyes off him.

“Now, care to tell me why you’re here ?”

She thought about asking him the same question, but found that she didn’t have it in her. This would be for another time. One where her life wouldn’t be in danger, nor was the Magical Dimension.

“The Trix stole the Dragon Flame from me. I’m… looking for a way to get it back.”

He cocked his head to the side, frowning.

“The Trix ?”

“Yes, they’re the descendants of your mothers,” spat the Nymph.

His eyes widened, and he was suddenly tenser than the girl had ever seen. Even when the Andros army had stepped inside his cave, he still looked relaxed. Maybe a little wary, but not tense. Not as much as he was now, at the mere mention of the Three Ancestral Witches.

“And you say they stole your magical powers ?” He asked, emotion gone from his face.

She nodded numbly, a part of her ashamed she had to admit it to him, who possessed the other half. He took her by surprise when she felt his hand on her shoulder, and magical energy rising in her veins. But it was unlike the time where she had to get rid of his dark energy in her.

This felt like her powers.

Like he was awakening a part of her so weak she had been unable to realize it was still there.

Magic coursed through her veins at once, and she smiled as she let it take back its rightful place in her body. The need to laugh was strong, but she didn’t want to alert her friends of what was happening, or to give them a reason to enter the room.

Eventually, she opened her eyes to see the wizard had taken a few steps back, his face still unreadable. He bowed in a mocking fashion towards the Nymph, and nodded curtly at the red head. He said he would talk to her again when she would be back on Magix, and had disappeared in the shadows, leaving the two sisters to talk freely.

“How do you know that monster ?!” Immediately asked the Nymph, anger showing on her face.

“I… it was an accident,” Bloom answered. “I found myself on Omega because one of those witches messed with the school’s simulator and when some flying snakes chased me down, I was forced to free him because I hoped he would save me !”

 _Or be a good bait_ , but she wouldn’t say that. Maybe he was still listening.

“And what ? You _trust_ him now ?”

That was the million dollar question. Did she ? She certainly didn’t fear him entirely. She actually believed there was some good in him. He showed her, countless of times, that he was a better ally than her own Headmistress. Although, he didn’t know she was Domino’s Princess at the time.

What would his reaction have been, if he’d known all along ? Would she have made it out of Omega, or Andros ?

But he was helping her now, wasn’t he ?

She shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

The silence was unbearable, and Bloom couldn’t stand it. She preferred her sister voiced her opinions rather than stay quiet. But as she looked up, she realized she was actually alone. Her sister had probably used all her energy already.

The doors opened on their own, and she looked back to see her friends getting up suddenly, alarmed. And then Musa whistled.

“Look at all this !”

Carefully, they entered the room.

“I think Bloom has a bigger legacy than yours, Stella !” Joked Flora.

“Well now we know who to ask for when we need new clothes !”

They laughed, and Bloom joined them, letting tears of happiness fall.

“Are you okay ?” Asked Layla with a frown, looking around the room suspiciously.

“Yes, better than ever !” Answered the red head as she made sparks appear as she moved her hand around.

The girls gasped and clapped their hands, their smiles growing bigger as they realized what she meant.

“How did you do it ?” Asked Tecna.

“Is it related to what’s on your head ?” Teased Stella.

Bloom widened her eyes a bit, suddenly reminded of Valtor’s strange act of kindness, but pushed the thought aside and smiled as she nodded. Yes, this was the best explanation she could give them now.

“It showed me what happened here. The sacrifice my sister made so I could be safe on Earth.”

They grew serious at those words, reminded once again of why they were here, in the middle of a destroyed planet. Bloom took her crown off her head, and put it back on its pillow. She would most likely lose it if she took it now with herself, and what good would it bring to wear a crown of an forgotten kingdom ?

Making their way out took less time than they expected, and their minds were set on getting back to Magix. They looked expectantly at Stella, who smiled back in return, and pointed her scepter towards the sky.

“To Alfea !”

The six of them disappeared into Solarian light, and reappeared before Alfea’s doors, who opened at once. With magic, they quickly got rid of their big coats, and found themselves in their usual attires. They sighed as the cool breeze of Magix hit them, happy to not face the cold wind of Domino anymore.

On Campus, they found Mrs. Faragonda, along with Paladin behind her. They raised an eyebrow, wondering why the director of Red Fountain was there in such a time of crisis. They also tensed as they saw Knut standing around, as if he belonged there.

“Finally, my dear children !” Sighed the Headmistress, making Bloom wince, “how are you Bloom ?”

She smiled.

“I’m fine Mrs. Faragonda.”

“She’s got her powers back !” Said Stella.

“And almost on her own !” Added Musa.

“Really ?”

“Yes, but Professor… what is he doing here ?” Asked Tecna, staring at the yellow ogre.

“Don’t worry girls, Knut is on our side now,” assured Paladin.

They quickly learned that Red Fountain had been destroyed, and the students and professors had sought refuge from Alfea, the last school to stand against the evil forces. Soon enough, Brandon, Sky and Timmy were walking towards them, smiles on their faces.

They rejoiced happily, and tension disappeared as the Prince and the red head smiled at each other, setting aside their differences for the moment. She already had a plan in her head anyway, and she would need his help.

Fortunately, the Headmistress asked to see her in private, to know more about her recent adventures, and received no objections. Once the red head had told them everything, or at least what she wished to share with them, she talked about her plans. Griselda and Faragonda looked at each other with unease, and told her they would think about it.

Bloom was aware such a decision would be hard to make, but it had to be done. Red Fountain and Alfea had chances to fight off the enemy, but rallying the witches would help them a lot. And Griffin’s knowledge in dark magic would surely be helpful. That was why she decided to go to Cloud Tower, in the hopes to learn more about the situation there, and hopefully free the students and their Headmistress.

She was a fairy, and her morals dictated her to do something good for the girls, even if they were enemies most of the time. They couldn’t just rot away in cells, simply because the Trix had decided so. She wouldn’t stand for it.

For now, she hoped she wouldn’t have to show anyone she had her powers back. If the Trix knew, they would be on guard. As long as they thought she was powerless, they would overlook her. Mock her, or maybe imprison her, but that would be it. Knowing them, they wanted to gloat and show her how powerful they became after they supposedly stole the Dragon Flame from its Keeper.

Her night was dreamless, and as the first rays of the sun shined into her room, she was woken up by a quiet Griselda, and a sleepy Stella. She didn’t ask questions and followed them into the Headmistress’ office, where they met Sky and Brandon.

By Faragonda’s side stood every Alfea professor, and Paladin. In a dark corner, Knut was playing with his fingers, obviously uncomfortable. Maybe he didn’t know why he was here yet, and it was understandable that he would fear being kicked out. Hopefully, that was not what the two Headmasters had in mind.

And just as she hoped, they had agreed to her plan. Going in as four would make it easier than if all the Winx and Specialists were going. They would be discreet, and apparently Knut would help them get inside mostly unharmed. She smiled his way, happy to see him and forgiving him, even after all he had done against her. After all, he was being controlled by the three sisters, and he was trying to make amends, she would give him that.

And they could use some more help.

That’s how she found herself wearing a dark coat, covering her from head to toe, with Stella and the two boys, closely followed by the ogre, intending to enter the witches’ school, to free them. They expected it to be hard, but overall their expedition went quite smoothly. They almost didn’t encounter a single monster until they reached the borders of the school.

There, they were spotted and attacked, but quickly another fighter appeared out of nowhere, and saved them. He was wearing rags, and they stayed on guard, wondering why someone would be here, on his own, until he laughed and they recognized his voice.

Riven.

They smiled, as he showed himself in the light, completely healthy, before Knut pushed them towards the tunnels. They exchanged a bit as they walked, because just as on Domino, the hard thing about this expedition was the time they spent walking in the dark, oblivious to any danger surrounding them until it was too late.

This time, though, it was Knut who shed light ahead of them. Stella was taking it slow, and because she would be the first to transform and likely protect them, she had to be ready and her powers full.

Eventually, they arrived before the cells. Brendon and Riven decided to quickly free the prisoners, as the other decided to enter a strange room : on the doors were painted flames. Bloom wondered why, and they all wished to investigate. If this was where the Trix’s powers came from, they could put an end to it all.

Or the room was uninteresting, and they would join the two specialists to help them with the prisoners.

Quickly, they got inside. Knut seemed unsure, just like they were. He didn’t remember such a place.

The room was arranged around a burning pedestal. Bloom raised an eyebrow. Was this supposed to be the Dragon Flame ? Or just a trap ? She had her powers back, fully. She never lost them. So what was that in front of her ?

She got her answer when it froze before her. It was a bait. If she still thought she had lost her powers, such a sight would’ve crushed her. But now, she just wondered what the Trix were playing at. The wind picked up, and her friends were thrown against the wall. All but her.

Passing the gates with big smiles on their faces stood the three sisters. She didn’t utter a word, and stared.

“Surprise !” Screamed Icy as their eyes locked. “No need to look for yours powers anymore. You won’t have them back. They’re inside of us now ! You’ve lost, little fairy.”

She felt the need to prove them wrong, but it would be stupid. Her friends were still trying to get up, and she didn’t feel like starting a fight inside a castle that could collapse onto them. She would simply wait for the right moment.

As Darcy walked towards her, it took all her will to not step back. She did not want to show them her fear, or to let them think they had any kind of power over her.

“Exact, but you won’t be able to tell a soul, so sad,” Darcy taunted in a whisper as she let her index move in circles before the fairy’s eyes.

“Do you know why ?” Asked Icy as she pushed her sister to the side to stand in front of her nemesis. “Because this place will be your tomb !”

The three laughed maniacally, ignoring her and treating her as if she were a mere insect. She felt her nails start breaking the skin of her hands, and she wondered if she shouldn’t transform right away and teach them a lesson, when a powerful wave of dark magic sent them against the wall.

Turning around, she only saw a silhouette with green magic floating around, before she could really see the Headmistress of Cloud Tower appear, full of hatred towards the three girls she once called students.

She passed Bloom without even looking at her, too focused on her enemies to care, and stood right before their lying forms.

“What are you doing Miss Griffin ?” Asked the angry ice witch.

At the same time, Knut, Sky and Stella came by their friend side and brought her back towards the main entrance of the room, joining Riven, Brendon and the witches at the same time. Their mission was accomplished, and they all watched in awe as the Headmistress of Cloud Tower conjured three purple barriers, mesmerizing all of them.

The spell was broken when she turned around and ordered them to run away, knowing the Trix would destroy their magical prison when they would all have regained consciousness. Bloom glanced behind her to be sure the Headmistress was coming with them, and then followed the witches who knew where to go.

They calmed down at one point, having climbed too many stairs. They still walked fast, following the Headmistress lead. Stella would be unable to transport all of them back to Alfea at once, but Mrs. Griffin could do it. They just needed to get outside.

So that’s exactly what they did, and they patiently waited in line as the Witch conjured a passage through the clouds. In awe, they watched as the witches entered without asking questions, impressed by the amount of power the Headmistress was capable of, before entering too.

The universe around them turned upside down, and Bloom clutched her friends’ hands, before finally feeling her feet touch the ground, and breathed in the air of Alfea, polluted by the dark magic around them. She heard panicked voices, and Mrs. Faragonda’s voice covering them all, reassuring them.

Bloom’s plan was a success, and everyone was back to safety.

It seemed to be just in time, as another assault took the school by surprise about an hour later. Luckily, students were only lightly harmed, but they were all starting to lose hope. It seemed useless, the army of monsters came back stronger each time.

Bloom looked at the scenery from her room. She had to take the witches by surprise, and that meant waiting for an opportunity. But she didn’t know when she would see them, or if they would even show themselves in Alfea.

It was Mrs. Griffin’s idea to attack the Trix directly, to put an end to this war. But how could they, now that Cloud Tower was so well protected ? The red head groaned, remembering she could have done something back at Cloud Tower, when the three sisters were stuck. Along the other witches and her friends, she could’ve defeated them.

She didn’t regret her choice to put witches in Alfea for their own safety, but maybe, if she had reacted, they wouldn’t even have to hide and everything would be well now.

She put her head in her knees, she let the silence overtake her. She wanted to stop thinking and have a break, but it seemed to be something she would never get these days. With every assault, she had to be ready in a case of emergency.

Her thoughts were interrupted by sobs. She looked around her, but knew her friends were outside, talking with the Specialists where she left them. Maybe. She wasn’t sure.

There was a sob again. She widened her eyes. Was it possible that it was Layla ?

She stood up silently from the couch, and approached the door in front of her. Putting an ear against it, she definitely heard sobs coming from the Princess’s room. She hesitated, biting her lower lips, before breathing in and knocking.

There was no answer, and the sobs went quieter. But that didn’t mean they completely disappeared. The red head decided to slowly open the door, not wishing to intrude or start a fight with the other fairy.

The room was dark, and the Princess was on her chair, facing the wall. All Bloom could see were her shoulders, going up and down in rhythm with her cries. She opened the door entirely, letting the light from outside illuminate the room, and made her way towards the girl she’d come to call a friend.

She expected Layla to throw her off when she would feel her hand on her shoulder, but she actually didn’t react at all. Gently spinning the girl around, she gasped and took two steps back, a hand onto her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

Layla’s face was covered in blood, and her eyes were white. As if she was blind. Tears were rolling down her cheeks at an unnatural pace, and her body fell to the ground, limp. She looked dead, but the sobs told another story.

Finally, she lifted her head, and looked at the red head in the eyes. Anger and despair in her eyes.

“You ! It’s all your fault !” She cried out. “If you didn’t exist, Valtor wouldn’t have destroyed my home, and I wouldn’t be here ! You are the worst person I have ever met ! I hate you ! Everything would be fine if you didn’t exist !”

Suddenly standing on all fours, she jumped onto the red head, and placed her hands onto her neck. And squeezed. Bloom tried to get her off, but started to suffocate. She felt her whole world go black, before she heard Layla’s voice once again. Calling out her name. Screaming.

She opened her eyes and breathed in immediately.

“Bloom ! What’s wrong with you ? I thought you were dying on me !” Cried out a panicked Layla.

A very healthy looking Layla.

The red head sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment.

“I’m sorry it… just a nightmare.”

“Do you want to talk about it ?”

She looked into the fairy’s eyes, and was tempted to say yes. She wanted to tell her the truth, but every time it seemed like a bad idea. And in such a time of crisis, it really wouldn’t do them any good.

“No, sorry I-“

“I understand,” said Layla with a tight smile. “Well, you missed something earlier.”

“What ?”

“Mirta.”

Hearing the name from her friend’s mouth, she felt her eyes widen before shooting up to her feet and walked into the main room. Sure enough, the witch and Flora were talking in very happy tones, her other friends.

She smiled, relaxing as she saw this accomplishment, before Mirta saw her and squealed happily, calling out her name too.

They hugged, and thanked each other numerous times. Finally, they could talk. It was such a relief to know she was now safe. Or almost. They still were prisoners of the school, forced to wait until there was another assault.

Bloom rejoiced with her friends, and then took a break. She looked over at Layla, who had a tiny smile on her face, watching in amusement her roommates interact. She averted her gaze to look outside, watching the dark clouds that covered the sky.

This would be hard, but they would win. She couldn’t doubt that.

But that would also mean that, after all of this, she would have to deal with Valtor. It was only a matter of time before someone made the connection between her accidental visit of Omega, and the sorcerer breaking free from said Planet.

A cry from their Headmistress stole all their attentions, and they opened the windows as quickly as they could to hear what the news were.

“-right everybody ! Take your positions ! We won’t be caught by surprise !”

The Headmistress nodded in their directions, making Bloom aware that the time had come. Somehow, the Trix had finally decided to show themselves.

It was about time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you know, at the beginning I thought my idea of Darcy tampering with the simulator and sending Bloom to Omega was… too big. Like unrealistic. Turns out, Palladium does make it happen in the end to send the Winx to Domino, in Episode 20. I was happily surprised. My story does make sense after all XD  
> So, do you think Valtor is now good ?  
> Oh and as I was writing this, I realized there was something… strange with the Winx going to Domino. Like, what was their way of going back ? When they get out of Domino’s castle, they wait around, and instead of Stella teleporting them away, they start fighting back. Then the Specialists come and save the day… I guess it was to have an opportunity for Sky to make amends, but I didn’t bother including it right away. It made no sense, and it would’ve seemed strange.  
> And also… You know, Bloom gets her powers back after Daphné makes her a speech about “no one can steal your powers because they’re a part of you, just like your memories blablabla…” then why not tell her right away in Domino ? I feel like either the translation to French was wrong, or Iginio Straffi wanted to do a lot more with season 1 but didn’t have the budget. In the last episodes, you really feel that they rushed them. The animation is really bad at times and they forget some things.  
> But it’s still the best show in the universe.  
> Anyway leave a comment, I would be really happy to read what you have to say on this new chapter ! I really thought I wouldn’t be able to post it today but… I guess I worked it out ^^


	6. Coming Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouh. Do you feel it. The end of Season 1 ALREADY.
> 
> Oh My.
> 
> Oh.
> 
> My.
> 
> Lord.
> 
> I must admit it's always a surprise for me to reach that many chapters. On another account I had done some fics, but never went far and ended up deleting them. And now, look at me. Going in for three seasons, and a movie. And I want to continue with another plot.
> 
> I'm really happy that you all like the story so far. I really hope you continue to love it as much. And I hope I won't suddenly disappear when school starts again XD
> 
> Enjoy !

As planned, Bloom joined the Specialists in the only tower left standing at the entrance of the school. She was supposed to wait until the Trix, or their army, had been weakened. Then, she would take everyone by surprise, because nobody excepted the Winx or the Heads of Schools knew about her recovered powers, and strike. Her main target was Icy, as she was the brain of this whole operation. But if she could, she would take down her two sisters.

But nothing went as expected.

As soon as the Army of Darkness appeared, they realized how much they had underestimated their forces. There were so much of them that none of them could believe their eyes, and fear made its way into their stomach.

Bloom tried to wait, but the moment Alfea's barriers, and the one Mrs. Faragonda and Mrs. Griffin had put up, fell, she reacted : she transformed, surprising the Specialists around her, and flew in front of the school, creating a barrier of flames at the entrance to try and burn as much as she could.

She put on a show : behind her appeared the Great Dragon, illuminating the whole battlefield. She looked at Icy, and smiled happily when she saw the witch's face of disbelief. Stormy was grinding her teeth and the wind picked up around them, while Darcy looked doubtful.

She didn't wait for any of them to really understand what was happening, and immediately fired with her most powerful spell at Icy. At the last moment, the ice witch understood the danger she was in, and flew upwards, her sisters joining her side.

As did the Winx with Bloom. They all stared at each other for a moment, before Icy attacked. Bloom simply created a shield of fire around them, and attacked at the same time, sending the ice witch backward, before flying after her. She would leave the sisters to her friends, but she wanted to deal with Icy personally.

Soon, the school was far behind her, and they both came to a stop above the Roccaluce lake. They exchanged spells and attacks, never letting the other catch their breath. One was always behind the other, sending her enemy into the water or up in the sky.

Unfortunately, they seemed to have the same amount of stamina and hatred for each other. A fire burnt in their eyes each time their gazes met, and they didn't bother naming their spells anymore. They simply shouted, picturing the other burning or freezing to their death.

Each time Bloom thought she had won, Icy came out with an even more powerful spell, her powers growing with her anger. And each time Icy seemed to have the upper hand, Bloom was able to reverse her cards and hit her target hard.

The battle went on for longer than they had anticipated. Hours flew by, and their energy didn't seem to weaken. On the contrary, each time Icy succeeded in freezing her alive, in blocking her into an ice prison, or sent her drowning in the lake, she came back stronger, energy pulsing around her, and retaliated just as powerfully.

She would be stuck into the frozen lake, but get out. She would crash in the water, but would instantly dry and retaliate. Icy would send a spell after her, and she'd simply teleport behind the witch before attacking her.

Eventually, they had to stop and catch their breaths, unable to come up with a way to overcome their nemesis. Bloom tried to stand up tall, and face Icy with a confident and infuriating smirk she'd seen so many times on another face, while the witch didn't bother to hide her frustration anymore. Her eyes had turned red, and her powers were building up inside of her. The red head could feel it without a doubt, and wondered what her next attack would be.

Her mistake was to never let her eyes off the witch.

All around her, ice started to attack her, and imprison her. After only seconds, she was unable to move, and was almost frozen alive. She couldn't even see around her, everything was white and blue. And cold, too.

For a moment, she wondered if that was how Omega prisoners felt like.

Her powerlessness against this situation angered her more than she could have ever imagined. She couldn't let Icy win, that was not a possibility. And this ice wasn't cursed like Omega's was. She succeeded in destroying what stood between Valtor and real world. This didn't compare at all.

But even with all those emotions inside her, she still couldn't work her magic to get to a point where she could get rid of the ice around her. She only needed a little push, and she would be done with the prison Icy had given her so generously. So she tapped into another source of power.

It was darker, and it was only remnants of what Valtor had given her, but it was enough. Making both magic work together was the hard part, but it wasn't impossible, and her will was powerful enough to do what she wished to.

She wouldn't lose to this pitiful excuse of a witch.

Her energy exploded at once, destroying the ice around her, and she stood still for a moment, letting the dark energy flow around her in a menacing manner, as she shone bright with power and anger. She barely registered the scared look on Icy's face though, before she struck with all her might.

The witch was sent onto the ground, fast, and for all Bloom knew, she had finally lost consciousness. She watched, blinking lazily, before flying after her, and catching her. She landed on the ground without her usual gracefulness, and let the body she held in her arm fall to the ground.

She then sat down to try and catch her breath. Her body was hurting from everywhere. She had been burnt because of the ice, that was for certain, and her wings were weaker than ever. But she had succeeded. She had defeated Icy, and trusted her friends did the same with her sisters. Otherwise she would be fighting two more enemies right now.

Applause coming from behind her should've surprised her, but she felt him arrive. Her eyes drifted lazily to him, as he came out of the shadows of the woods, a genuine impressed smile on his face. She rolled her eyes.

"You watched everything, didn't you ?"

"From the beginning to the end."

"Couldn't you help ?" She breathed out.

"And miss on the show ?"

She huffed.

He walked up to the witch, and touched her face with the tip of his boot, treating her as if she were a mere insect he really didn't want to get closer to. He then turned to her, putting his hands behind his back, and tilted his head, a satisfied smile on his lips.

"There is so much power in you, if you wan-"

"I knew it."

The voice put the both of them on edge, and Bloom stood up as fast as possible. She couldn't see the person who had uttered those words because Valtor blocked her view, but had talked to her so much for the past few weeks that she was forced to recognize her.

"I knew it," repeated Layla as Bloom sidestepped the wizard, seeing the angry fairy with what she believed to be tears in her eyes.

"Layla-"

"You have no right to speak my name !" Yelled the Princess. "You are nothing but a liar and a traitor !"

She fired at Bloom without warning, and the girl was sent backwards, almost into the lake. It took her a minute to come back to her senses, and what she saw scared her to the bone : Valtor, his hand raised and ready to fire at the Andros Princess, who lied limply against a tree.

What happened while she was out, she wasn't sure. Layla was unconscious, and the way Valtor held himself but, moreover, all of the magic swirling around him told her that the Princess might not recover from his attack.

She moved very fast, and collided with the wizard's arm, the spell missing its target entirely, and killing trees behind the girl. He turned around to look at Bloom with anger shining in his eyes, just as red as Icy's moments ago. But she didn't let herself be intimidated, and shook her head.

"I'm going to take care of this."

"She's going to destroy your life."

"She won't."

Bloom believed in what she was saying. She knew her friend was acting out of confusion, anger and despair. She wouldn't do anything against her once the situation would be explained. But she couldn't do that with Valtor next to her.

He stood taller, pushing away the hand she still had on his forearm, and sneered.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

And he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Immediately, she rushed to her friend's side, trying to sense her pulse. Although she found none.

She laid her friend on the grass slowly, and focused. She couldn't die. Not now. She was too young and she didn't deserve it. She wouldn't die because of her mistake. Her Kingdom needed her. If they learned their Princess had died at the hands of Valtor…

She pushed the thought aside, and focused on the body of her friend. Bloom tried to convey all her emotions into her friend, letting the warm feeling of love she had for the girl surround her. She didn't know what she was doing, but it felt right, and she decided she didn't care.

Layla coughed, and opened her eyes to stare at an exhausted Bloom. For a moment, nothing happened, before the black girl eventually pushed the red head back, scrambling to her feet, although she didn't seem very steady.

Still, the red head could only see anger and resentment on her friend's face.

"How could you ?"

"I'm sorry Layla. I can explain everything ! I never inten-"

"My people are _dying_ Bloom ! And the families still alive count on me and my family ! This man is terrorizing entire Magical Dimensions ! He's destroying everything in his path ! For years we have been at peace, and now the whole ocean must prepare for battle ! Just because your Kingdom fell doesn't mean mine has to !"

It hurt, but she was too tired to get angry at what the Princess shouted at her. Mostly because it was true. She knew about the damages the wizard was causing all over Andros, and other planets, but was still willing to talk to him. She couldn't even begin to imagine what her friend was feeling at the moment, the situation all messed up in her head.

"I understand Layla, please let me-"

"You _understand_? My own parents, teachers and any friend I ever had is in danger… all because of him ! And you allied yourself to him ? For what exactly ? His good looks ?! He destroyed your home and you're still willing to talk to him ?! You're just a selfish little girl."

Bloom frowned. The insult sting, but it was also true. If she kept going to him, it was for selfish reasons. It was only because she wanted to find her family, and understand what really happened to her Kingdom. He had an important role to play, as he served the Three Ancestral Witches, and she needed to gain his trust to discover what he knew.

But there was one thing she didn't like from her friend's accusations.

"Layla, I never allied myself to him."

"Then why was he here ? Why was he smiling and talking to you like you were old pals ?!"

"Because he saved me Layla !"

This seemed to quiet the girl down. She lifted an eyebrow. Bloom continued before her friend could say anything else, and took a few steps towards her.

"There's a lot to explain, but it's not as simple as it looks. He saved my life, and helped me when Mrs. Faragonda tried to hide my true origins from me. That is it. That's all there is between us. I never helped him do anything."

They heard a groan from behind, and turned to see Icy moving, probably coming back to her senses.

"I hope you have a good explanation."

"I promise."

Layla crossed her arms and eyed the red head as she took Icy in her arms once again, and they flew towards a celebrating Alfea, free of monsters, and with two Trix already in magical shackles. Bloom gave the last witch to Mrs. Griffin, and went back to her friends while Layla went back to her bedroom.

The girls looked curious, and Bloom slightly shook her head. Then Sky came and laughed, pulling her into a hug just like everybody else. They laughed and rejoiced. They finally had won over the Trix.

They defeated evil together.

Although, as she stared towards the destroyed windows of her room, Bloom wondered how long this peace was going to last.

An hour later, security entered the school, and took the three sisters through a portal to some monastery. Stormy screamed and kicked anyone who came anywhere near her, while Darcy stayed calm, accepting she had been defeated.

But Icy's eyes promised a horrible vengeance. Bloom simply answered with a cocky smile and a raised eyebrow, deliberately provoking the witch. She won against her once. She would do it again, and as many times as it took for the witch to finally admit her defeat.

With pleasure, she watched them go through the portal, and disappear.

The same night, a party was organized for fairies, specialists and witches alike. Everyone laughed, ate and danced. Some exchanged numbers, others exchanged schools as, for the first time in history, they were all standing in the same building, partying for the same reason.

Mirta was one of the people who would change schools. Her best friend Lucy seemed happy for her friend, although it was obvious she would miss having her as her roommate. She would exchange her place with Amaryl, who had grown quickly close to Mirta and Lucy during the battle. She was amazed at how witches fought, and decided that being a fairy maybe wasn't for her.

It only took Lucy to reassure her by telling her that, even though her powers revolved around stars and seemed to fit into the fairy style range of magic, she could very well make it work by being a witch.

Other students thought of quitting their schools to go to other ones in other dimensions, but quickly realized the impact Valtor had outside of Magix.

Few decided to go, and most students chose to go to the Beta Academy, the only school that seemed safe for now. But overall, it was known Valtor didn't attack Magix, so most parents decided that, now that the Trix were gone, they could let their child continue to attend the school, if that was what they wished to do.

Sky brought her out of her reverie.

"Bloom, I need to talk to you."

He seemed so serious in the middle of the dancing and laughing people that she didn't even try to joke, and simply followed him. They reached a quiet part of the school, where a lot of couples were hanging around, dancing to a slow beat music, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry I…"

He seemed hesitant, and she watched as he took a breath in.

"I just want us to remain friends."

She blinked.

Some couples looked their way, obviously pitying her, until she started laughing and surprised everyone.

"Oh no Sky you've got it all wrong !"

He sighed and relaxed.

"I don't know, I wanted to be sure and-"

"Don't worry, I understand. But I'd rather we stay friends. I still have a lot to do and a relationship on top of that wouldn't help at all !"

He laughed. Then he intertwined their arms, and led her back to the dancefloor, all his energy and joy back at once. They danced the night away, laughing as they got tired and kept stepping on each other's foots, before they calmed down and sat at their table, sipping away some magical juice that Mrs. Griselda had found hidden in the kitchens.

Stella and Brendon didn't leave each other's side neither. It seemed the Princess didn't think it was important for the King of her heart to have blue blood running through his veins. They looked happy, and were now hugging, dancing slowly to their own rhythm, their eyes closed. Bloom smiled, her heart melting at the sight.

Musa and Riven were standing on the dancefloor too, but dancing like crazy. They jumped around each other, smiled and laughed, and never stopped moving. All the tension was leaving their bodies as they kept running around, trying to come up with new moves.

As for Tecna and Timmy, they were sitting at the same table as Bloom and Sky, and were discussing some things that the red head would probably never understand. But she had eyes, and could very clearly see them holding hands, and the way their faces seemed to brighten every time they looked at each other.

Flora and Layla were dancing somewhere, too. The Princess had accepted to take some time off, even if the red head hadn't given proper explanations yet. All of them needed it, and it seemed the girl wasn't as angry as she'd been some hours ago. Although they all knew it simply was the calm before the storm.

"Ah, this is for us," said Sky as a ship landed outside of Alfea.

Paladin used his scepter to call attention, and the music disappeared slowly, as the path towards the exit of the school was lightened up. He called all his students to come and enter the ship, to get back to their own school. Goodbyes were uttered, hugs given, feather kisses gifted, and the Specialists were gone.

The girls then looked at Mrs. Griffin who also called her students, making them disappear in the sky, all of them going back to their own dormitories. Some fairies followed, and waved goodbyes to their friends, while witches were doing the same for those who decided to stay behind.

Soon, everything was calm, and Mrs. Faragonda authorized the party to continue until morning. They were in no rush, after all. Although most of the students had now realized how really tired they were. Mrs. Griselda called for the new students to follow her to the now empty dormitories, and the Winx decided to get back too.

Layla kept her eyes on Bloom, and the latter could feel it. But she said nothing, and understood why she was acting that way. She was tired, but owed her an explanation. She'd come to call her a friend, and counted on her during the final battle. She wouldn't abuse her trust anymore.

Layla would know the truth. The entire truth. It didn't matter if it hurt, or if she could go to prison for it. She couldn't keep lying to her friend. This was going against everything she believed in. She was a fairy, and she had to live up to the title.

She turned the doorknob, and soon all of them were sitting on the couch with anxious faces. Layla stood before them, her arms crossed. Her eyes didn't betray any emotion, though they could feel the anger radiating off her.

"Explain."

Bloom sighed, and eyed her friends. If she went down, she simply hoped the Princess wouldn't make them go down with her. They only helped keeping her safe.

So she did explain. From the simulator test, to finding herself on Omega probably because of the Trix, to being chased down the dimension by prisoners and lizards, and freeing Valtor to save her life. Then how she got out, and back safely to Alfea.

"But I saw you, back in the cave. All of you."

This was no question, and Bloom nodded. The others looked away, guiltily.

"You all knew about it ! You _saw_ what happened to the mermaids but still, you went down to talk to that… monster ! Why ?"

She sounded hurt, and it made Bloom tense. She felt so bad for everything she'd done. Maybe there could've been another way. Maybe she could've gotten out of Omega without Valtor, or maybe she could've never gone back to him for more information in the first place and would've simply dealt with what Mrs. Faragonda gave her.

There were a thousand of ideas of how she could've done things differently that ran through her head, one thought replacing the other, while Bloom tried to grasp the last bits of her courage. Her actions now seemed so stupid, and reckless. She put all her friends in danger, and now they all had to deal with it.

"Because he was the only willing to give me information about the Nymph Daphné," she said in a breath.

It took a second for Layla to understand.

"You mean your older sister ?"

Bloom nodded, while Layla sighed in disbelief.

"How did you get him to help you ?"

Bloom shrugged. She honestly had no idea why he kept answering her questions, while he could've ended her life in a snap of his fingers. Or transformed her into one of those horrible mermaids. He had every opportunity for it, and she would've never been able to fight back.

Now that he knew of her true heritage, she was even more confused. What stopped him from killing her, or take her power ?

"Anything else you can tell me about him ?"

Bloom thought hard.

She told her about the time a monster, sent by the Trix, invaded their dreams, and how he tried to help her by putting some of his powers in her, and how she had to go back to him so he could take his magic back.

She told her friends about meeting him accidentally at Red Fountain, the day they discovered Sky and Brendon's true identities.

And she revealed how the Trix found her, as she searched for him back in his lair on Andros, to have more answers about her past and the Nymph. Because he was the only person she trusted to tell her the truth.

She felt silent after that.

Layla was pacing back and forth, while her friends fidgeted.

Eventually, the Andros Princess had to come to a stop.

"I understand."

Bloom looked up when the words registered in her mind, surprised beyond words.

"You do ?"

"Of course. I'm angry, but I don't let my feelings cloud my judgement. And I can clearly see that you did not try to help him. I can't imagine what I would've done if I were you."

Bloom felt the corners of her lips lift up with hope.

"But we still need to do something about him. I need him gone."

The red head nodded, serious once again. Before she understood what the Princess meant behind those words.

"You really expect us to fight back a wizard as powerful as him ?" Asked Musa, yawning immediately after finishing her sentence.

"No. But we can always find a way, later. We're not powerful enough, but one day we will. We will be Guardian Fairies, and our Kingdoms and the Magical Dimensions will need us."

They all nodded. Bloom slower than her friends. She had no idea what a Guardian Fairy was.

Destroying Valtor would be like destroying the last hint she had about her family. He had been under the Ancestral Witches orders for so long : it was obvious he had some kind of information. She was certain of it. But he wouldn't share it like that.

She prepared herself to say something, when the Princess turned around suddenly, putting an end to their conversation.

"I have to get back to Andros now, I have matters to attend."

The girls knew what lied underneath these words : she was going back to deal with Valtor's damages to her Kingdom. Their gazes crossed, and the anger still shined bright in the girl's eyes. But she nodded solemnly, conveying all her respect towards the five girls, and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"Are you really going to destroy Valtor ?" Asked Tecna a few minutes later, an eyebrow raised at her friend.

"I want to get as much information about my parents as I can before it comes to that."

"But are you ready to kill someone ?"

This time, the question was quiet, and came from Flora. The girl seemed nervous, and kept playing with her hair to avoid their eyes on her. It made the red head look away, as she tried to think about it. She shook her head, eventually.

"I don't think so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the end.
> 
> You might've noticed the title changed ? That was because I wasn't sure I'd even end season 1. But I did it ! I really did it and I can't believe it !
> 
> Does that mean you'll have to wait long for what is to come next ? No, absolutely not my dears ! It should be up next week, or in two weeks, but not more. It will be part of Duality (which this part of the story is also a part of).
> 
> Tell me if you'd like longer chapters, or if this length (between 4000 and 5000 words) is okay for you dears.
> 
> But why make another fanfiction when I could just post other chapters here ? Because it will be a lot more clear and easier to understand. I feel like if I pack up three seasons in one fic… It's going to be messy, and you guys are going to be lost.
> 
> There should be five books in total, for now (one book will be made for the movie, I still have to watch season 5, 6 and 7 to know what I can do with them).
> 
> So this is the end for the season 1, maybe I'll do a prequel and post a seventh chapter, but I truly doubt that and to me, this part of the story is finished.
> 
> Subscribe if you wanna be notified as soon as I get the story out, or be sure to update next Monday or Tuesday. Otherwise, I would be really happy to know what you thought overall of this fic. I'm really happy that you guys kept reading and commenting, and I'll see you soon !

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. I didn’t expect to write that much at once. So don’t expect other chapters to be that long XD  
> I am truly sorry if there are any grammatical errors or anything of the sort, and please tell me if you spot any. In DM or in the comment section, I don’t care, just tell me.  
> Anyway, I really liked this idea, and this is why I’m posting it. I really feel inspired by it, and I feel like I can do a lot more with Bloom than if I’d taken the girl from season 3.  
> Layla… I don’t know when she’ll appear. Honestly I’ll try to make it natural, but I have to create a backstory for her. After all, she knew pixies, so I don’t know if she was stuck in her castle or could sometimes go out. One thing is certain though : she wasn’t going to school before meeting the Winx Club so… I don’t know. Maybe she’ll appear in the next chapter, maybe in the tenth.  
> So I’ll you review, subscribe, leave kudos… and thank you for reading this first chapter.


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